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Thermal radiation. Stefan-Boltzmann law

Thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation generated by the thermal
motion of charged particles in matter. All matter with a temperature greater
than absolute zero emits thermal radiation. When the temperature of the body is
greater than absolute zero, interatomic collisions cause the kinetic energy of the
atoms or molecules to change. This results in charge-acceleration and/or dipole
oscillation which produces electromagnetic radiation, and the wide spectrum of
radiation reflects the wide spectrum of energies and accelerations that occur
even at a single temperature.
The characteristics of thermal radiation depend on various properties of
the surface it is emanating from, including its temperature, its
spectral absorptivity and spectral emissive power, as expressed by Kirchhoff's
law.
Forthe study of thermal radiation, it was imagined a model of ideal body
called black body. This is a body that absorbs all radiation that comes to it, no
matter of its wavelength, and universal constant from the law of Kirchhoff is even
the emission capacity of the black body.
In the study of thermal radiation (therefore black body radiation) are used
a range of sizes defined either for the entire spectrum of wavelengths (overall
size or full size), or for a portion of the spectrum determined by the wavelength
ranges ( , + d ) , sizes called spectral magnitudes . The most common such
quantities are:

Radiant energy flow or radiant power is the total energy emitted by a body in
unit time, i.e. the speed (rate) transmission in time of the radiated energy:

dW
, wit h [ ] SI =1 J / s=1 W
dt

So, the energy flow has the meaning of the power.

Spectral energy flow is the energy emitted or absorbed by the body per unit
time, but only in the range of wavelengths (, +d):

d
=
, w h ere = d wit h [ ]SI =1 J /s m=1 W /m
d
0
Therefore, spectral flow, as well as other spectral sizes are local quantities
that depend on an infinitesimal interval of wavelengths, located in the vicinity of
a given wavelength .

Energy intensity of a point source is the flow of radiation emitted per

unit solid angle:

I=

d
, wit h [ I ] SI =1 W /sr
d

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Radiance or energy emitance is radiated energy flow emitted in all directions

from a surface A divided by unit area:

R=

d
2
, wit h [ R ] SI =1 W /m
dA

Spectral radiance is radiated energy flow emited in all directions from a surface
A divided by unit area but only in the infinitesimal wavelength range ( , +
d ):

dR
R =
, R= R d
d
0
Experimental study of bodies (i.e. implicit and black body model) led to the
formulation of several empirical laws (laws based only on experimental
observations), semiempirical laws (laws which combine the experimental
observations with theoretical considerations) or purely theoretical laws .
Stefan - Boltzmann law:
The radiance R of a black body depends on the fourth power of its
absolute temperature T, i.e.

R ( T )= T 4 , where is called the Stefan-

Boltzmann constant.
For real body:

R ( T )=a T 4 , a (0.3 0.99) .

Experimental setup
We determine the Stefan-Boltzmann constant by studying the radiation
of an incandescent body (filament of a light bulb B1, fig.1) .The emitted energy
by unit of surface of the filament is

R=

UI
S , where U is the voltage to the

filament terminals and I is the heating current.

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The temperature is determined by comparing the brightness temperature
corresponding to a single wavelength with the brightness radiation of a black
body at the same wavelength.
It uses an optical pyrometer with disappearing filament constructed to
obtain the image of the surface studied B1 with a lens in plane where the
filament of a special light bulb B2 (fig.2) is located.This light bulb is connected in
a circuit with resistance R2.

Comparing
the brightness of the
body with the
filaments, it will appear
darker, equal or brighter depending on the temperature.
The temperature readings are done with red filter F1 and for temperatures

12002000 o C

it is commuted and filtered with F2.

Procedure of work
- measure U and I of bulb circuit B1 and determine the temperature of the
pyrometer;
- calculate R, and h ;
- plot the curve R=f(T4).

S=1.08 104 m2
k B=1.3805 1023 J / K
U(V)

I(A)

T(K)

( C)
t

T 4 ( K 4 ) P(W)

R ( W /m2 )

mediu

Question
1. Which is the value and the unit for in the International System?
a)

12

=5,67 10

J cm K

H(Js)

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22

J . cm K

16

J m K

12

W cm K

b)

=7,62 10

c)

=7,62 10

d)

=5,67 10

e)

=5,67 10 W m K

f)

=5,67 108 W / ( m2 K 4 )