- #1
stunner5000pt
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If the ‘Solar Constant’ as integrated between wavelengths of 100 nm and 1000 nm has a value of 1000 watt m-2 and the Sun emits like a perfect black body with a temperature of 5900 K, evaluate the 100 nm to 1000 nm solar photon flux in photons m-2 s-1 striking the surface of a satellite in low Earth orbit. If the satellite was only 0.5 AU from the Sun what would the photon flux be?
so would i treat the entire area between the sun's cneter and the Earth as one giant sphere?
from teh surface area of this sphere we know the photon flux of this sphere per unit area
then can we do the ratio like this
r1 is the distance between the sun and Earth 1 AU
r2 the disatnce between the sun and the satellite 0.5AU
[tex] \frac{1000Wm^{-2}}{x} = \frac{r_{1}^2}{r_{2}^2} [/tex]
where x is the photon flux at the satellite's position.
so would i treat the entire area between the sun's cneter and the Earth as one giant sphere?
from teh surface area of this sphere we know the photon flux of this sphere per unit area
then can we do the ratio like this
r1 is the distance between the sun and Earth 1 AU
r2 the disatnce between the sun and the satellite 0.5AU
[tex] \frac{1000Wm^{-2}}{x} = \frac{r_{1}^2}{r_{2}^2} [/tex]
where x is the photon flux at the satellite's position.