## \phi ## is the azimuth angle. It is the same angle as the ## \phi ## in cylindrical coordinates. The ## \theta ## is the tricky one in polar coordinates. It is measured from the z-axis. In the entire sphere, ## \theta ## goes from 0 to ## \pi ##. For a hemisphere, it goes from ## 0 ## to ## \pi/2 ##. Polar coordinates is much easier explained holding a pencil and showing where it points. It's much easier to describe in person than in a write-up on the internet. But anyway, if you start with the pencil pointing upward, along the z-axis, that is ## \theta =0 ##. Tilt the pencil down slightly, and you tilt it down by angle ## \theta ##. Depending on the direction you tilt it, that defines the ## \phi ## angle...Rotate the tilted pencil (and yourself) around the z-axis (i.e. turn to the left or right), and ## \theta ## stays constant, but you change ## \phi ##.