MATLAB Objective:

• Review how to plot data and calculations.

Radiation Objective:

• Explore the solar radiation at the top of atmosphere.
• Calculate solid angle.
• Determine if the sun is a black body.

INSTRUCTIONS

Calculate the solid angle of the sun subtended at top of Earth's atmosphere

Access the following matlab code called solarplot.m.  When you run this code as is, it will plot the spectral flux leaving the surface of the sun.  You'll can use this Matlab code to answer the questions that follow.

In the Matlab code, solarplot.m, I convert the solar energy at the top of Earth Atmosphere to the surface of the sun using the following formula:

solar_sun=solar_toa*(149597890./695980)^2

Explain why I used this formula.

For this next part the assignment you need to code up Planck's function in MATLAB and plot the Planck spectral flux (W per m^2 per micron) at a temperature of 5777K.

 
• Include a flow diagram of your code.
• Answer the question "Can we consider the sun to be a blackbody?"

Get the MATLAB code here (solarplot.m)

You'll also need this data file (sunspec.out)

Bonus Points

Write a Matlab code that integrates the spectral solar flux to yield the total flux at the top of Earth's atmosphere.