Solving Specific Intensity: A Beginner's Guide

AI Thread Summary
Specific intensity in a radiation field is defined as the amount of energy passing through a unit solid angle per unit area, and it should remain consistent regardless of the differential surface area chosen. A precise definition of a radiation field is crucial for understanding specific intensity. The differential solid angle element is measured from a specific point, typically the source of radiation, and its relationship to the area element is essential for accurate calculations. The concept of energy flowing through a solid angle is only meaningful when the source is positioned at the center of the solid angle. Understanding these definitions and relationships is vital for grasping the fundamentals of specific intensity in radiation fields.
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I am having fundamental difficulty in feeling the definition of specific intensity of a radiation field...
questions:
1) Define a radiation field as precisely as possible.
2) Specific intensity defined at a point should remain the same whichever way we choose for the differential surface area..
3) With respect to which point and which area element is the differential solid angle element measured?
4) What do we mean by dE(energy flowing through the unit solid angle)?
(because if the differential solid angle is defined keeping the centre of the area element as centre of the sphere then dE does not make any sense).
i.e. 'energy flowing through a surface' makes sense but
'energy flowing through a solid angle' makes sense only if the source is at the centre.
 
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This may help

http://www.drake.edu/artsci/physics/astrocourses/a185v3.pdf
 
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