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EQUATIONS FOR THERMAL RADIATION
(lambda) * T = 0.0029 m K (Wien's displacement law for thermal radiation) F = (sigma) * T^4 (Stefan-Boltzmann law for thermal flux) For any heat source with temperature T, Wien's displacement law gives the wavelength where the peak of its thermal radiation (also called "black body radiation") is emitted. The flux of thermal radiation at the surface of that heat source is given by the Stefan-Boltzmann law, where sigma is a constant, 5.67 * 10^(-5) erg cm^(-2) deg^(-4) s^(-1). What's noteworthy is that the surface flux is proportional to the fourth power of the source temperature; so a small change in temperature means a big change in flux. |