What is the physical intuition behind radiative heating and cooling?

[Frabjous]

I am looking for a reference that will give me some physical intuition into radiative heating and cooling. I am not afraid of math, but I am not interested in performing detailed calculations.

 

[russ_watters]

I am looking for a reference that will give me some physical intuition into radiative heating and cooling. I am not afraid of math, but I am not interested in performing detailed calculations.

I don't know what "intuition" means in this context. Can you explain what it is that you want to know? As stated, the question is extremely broad and vague. Have you read the Wikipedia article on the subject?

 

[Frabjous]

A couple of weeks ago, I asked this question
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/frost-preferentially-forms-on-non-vertical-car-windows.998408/
I was surprised that part of the answer was that a wall 20 ft away influenced the answer. I had no physical intuition what so ever.

I am more interested in solids, planets, atmospheres and asteroids than I am in blackbodies or spectra.

In my perfect world, someone would suggest a 100-page 1960 monograph that mixes simple calculations with exposition on what the detailed calculation would involve.

 

[bigfooted]

Take look at the chapter on radiation from Lienhard & Lienhard,

https://ahtt.mit.edu/

 

[russ_watters]

A couple of weeks ago, I asked this question
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/frost-preferentially-forms-on-non-vertical-car-windows.998408/
I was surprised that part of the answer was that a wall 20 ft away influenced the answer. I had no physical intuition what so ever.

It's a pretty straightforward problem of view angle. A flat plate has a 180 degree field of view (a hemisphere). For a vertical (horizontal facing) window, half of that is a view of the ground. The impact of the wall depends on how big and warm it is.