A correlation between spectral class and spectral irradiance using Planck's blackbody radiation

Author

Valinda Dee Kirkland

Date of Award

12-1992

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Aerospace Engineering

Major Professor

A. A. Manson

Committee Members

H. Crater, W. Phillips, R. Reed

Abstract

Stars may be used as calibration sources for sensors. This may be accomplished by a method that approximates the spectral irradiance of a star. This method distributes the total irradiance of a star as a blackbody function with an effective temperature. The results were compared with measured data. The accuracy of the method varied with the spectral class and luminosity type of a star. It also varied with the spectral range being considered. It was concluded that this method was a good first order approximation to the spectral irradiance of a star in the visual and infrared spectral regions but not in the ultraviolet spectral region.

Recommended Citation

Kirkland, Valinda Dee, "A correlation between spectral class and spectral irradiance using Planck's blackbody radiation. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1992.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/12159