Radiative equilibrium in near-Earth space

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In near-Earth space, a rapidly rotating pig projected from a spacecraft will reach a temperature of approximately 278°K in radiative equilibrium with the Sun and cosmic background radiation, based on the Stefan-Boltzmann law. The discussion raises questions about the albedo of pigs and how their color affects radiative properties, suggesting that references on similar organic materials may provide useful data. It is noted that the emissivity of organic materials, including skin, is close to 1 in the infrared spectrum, indicating high efficiency in radiation. The relationship between absorption and emission is highlighted, confirming that if a body absorbs 30% of the radiation a black body would, it will also emit 30% due to the principle of emissivity reciprocity. The conversation ultimately emphasizes the importance of understanding these properties for energy conservation in radiative equilibrium scenarios.
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Project a pig P from a spacecraft in near-Earth orbit. Assume that P is rotating rapidly (or, equivalently, that it is perfectly conductive).

What temperature will P reach when it is in radiative equilibrium with the Sun on the one hand and the CRB on the other?

The Stefan-Boltzmann law gives 278°K (at least according to Wikipedia) if the pig is a black body without an atmosphere, which seems reasonable though I haven't actually checked the calculations in detail.

This question may be turning into "how un-black is a pig?". Presumably one would need to look at the albedo of pigs (either black ones or white ones) at different wavelengths. Any references would be welcome: people might have more figures on them than pigs, and, both being mammals, will probably have similar radiative properties.

If a body absorbs 30% of the radiation that a black body would, will it also emit 30% of the radiation that a black body would, or is there no necessary connection between these figures?
 
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nugae said:
This question may be turning into "how un-black is a pig?". Presumably one would need to look at the albedo of pigs (either black ones or white ones) at different wavelengths. Any references would be welcome: people might have more figures on them than pigs, and, both being mammals, will probably have similar radiative properties.
The emissivity of most organic materials (skin, paper, etc.) is close to 1 in the infra-red. For human skin it's 0.95-0.98, regardless of skin color, dropping to about 0.9 in the near-IR.

nugae said:
If a body absorbs 30% of the radiation that a black body would, will it also emit 30% of the radiation that a black body would, or is there no necessary connection between these figures?
Emissivity is reciprocal for absorbtion and radiation.
 
nugae said:
If a body absorbs 30% of the radiation that a black body would, will it also emit 30% of the radiation that a black body would[..]?
If it didn't, would energy be conserved?
 
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