Transmittance

Transmittance of the surface of a material is its effectiveness

in transmitting radiant energy. It is the fraction of incident
electromagnetic power that is transmitted through a sample, in
contrast to the transmission coefficient, which is the ratio of the
transmitted to incident electric field.[2]

Internal transmittance refers to energy loss by absorption,

Earth's atmospheric transmittance
whereas (total) transmittance is that due to absorption,
over 1 nautical mile sea level path
scattering, reflection, etc.
(infrared region[1]). Because of the
natural radiation of the hot
Mathematical definitions atmosphere, the intensity of
radiation is different from the
transmitted part.
Hemispherical transmittance

Hemispherical transmittance of a surface, denoted T, is

defined as[3]

where

▪ Φet is the radiant flux transmitted by that surface;

▪ Φei is the radiant flux received by that surface. Transmittance of ruby in optical and
near-IR spectra. Note the two broad
blue and green absorption bands and
Spectral hemispherical transmittance one narrow absorption band on the
wavelength of 694 nm, which is the
Spectral hemispherical transmittance in frequency wavelength of the ruby laser.
and spectral hemispherical transmittance in
wavelength of a surface, denoted Tν and Tλ respectively,
are defined as[3]

where
 ▪ Φe,νt is the spectral radiant flux in frequency transmitted by that surface;
▪ Φe,νi is the spectral radiant flux in frequency received by that surface;
▪ Φe,λt is the spectral radiant flux in wavelength transmitted by that surface;
▪ Φe,λi is the spectral radiant flux in wavelength received by that surface.

Directional transmittance

Directional transmittance of a surface, denoted TΩ, is defined as[3]

where

▪ Le,Ωt is the radiance transmitted by that surface;

▪ Le,Ωi is the radiance received by that surface.

Spectral directional transmittance

Spectral directional transmittance in frequency and spectral directional

transmittance in wavelength of a surface, denoted Tν,Ω and Tλ,Ω respectively, are defined as[3]

where

▪ Le,Ω,νt is the spectral radiance in frequency transmitted by that surface;

▪ Le,Ω,νi is the spectral radiance received by that surface;
▪ Le,Ω,λt is the spectral radiance in wavelength transmitted by that surface;
▪ Le,Ω,λi is the spectral radiance in wavelength received by that surface.

Beer–Lambert law
By definition, internal transmittance is related to optical depth and to absorbance as

where
 ▪ τ is the optical depth;
▪ A is the absorbance.

The Beer–Lambert law states that, for N attenuating species in the material sample,

or equivalently that

where

▪ σi is the attenuation cross section of the attenuating species i in the material sample;
▪ ni is the number density of the attenuating species i in the material sample;
▪ εi is the molar attenuation coefficient of the attenuating species i in the material sample;
▪ ci is the amount concentration of the attenuating species i in the material sample;
▪ ℓ is the path length of the beam of light through the material sample.

Attenuation cross section and molar attenuation coefficient are related by

and number density and amount concentration by

where NA is the Avogadro constant.

In case of uniform attenuation, these relations become[4]

or equivalently
Cases of non-uniform attenuation occur in atmospheric science applications and radiation
shielding theory for instance.

Other radiometric coefficients

 Radiometry coefficients

Quantity SI
Notes
Name Sym. units

Radiant exitance of a surface, divided by that of a black body at the

Hemispherical emissivity ε —
same temperature as that surface.

Spectral hemispherical εν Spectral exitance of a surface, divided by that of a black body at the
—
emissivity ελ same temperature as that surface.

Radiance emitted by a surface, divided by that emitted by a black

Directional emissivity εΩ —
body at the same temperature as that surface.

Spectral directional εΩ,ν Spectral radiance emitted by a surface, divided by that of a black
—
emissivity εΩ,λ body at the same temperature as that surface.

Hemispherical Radiant flux absorbed by a surface, divided by that received by that

absorptance
A —
surface. This should not be confused with "absorbance".

Spectral hemispherical Aν Spectral flux absorbed by a surface, divided by that received by that
—
absorptance Aλ surface. This should not be confused with "spectral absorbance".

Radiance absorbed by a surface, divided by the radiance incident

Directional absorptance AΩ —
onto that surface. This should not be confused with "absorbance".

AΩ,ν Spectral radiance absorbed by a surface, divided by the spectral

Spectral directional
— radiance incident onto that surface. This should not be confused
absorptance AΩ,λ with "spectral absorbance".

Radiant flux reflected by a surface, divided by that received by that

Hemispherical reflectance R —
surface.

Spectral hemispherical Rν Spectral flux reflected by a surface, divided by that received by that
—
reflectance Rλ surface.

Radiance reflected by a surface, divided by that received by that

Directional reflectance RΩ —
surface.

Spectral directional RΩ,ν Spectral radiance reflected by a surface, divided by that received by
—
reflectance RΩ,λ that surface.

Hemispherical Radiant flux transmitted by a surface, divided by that received by

transmittance
T —
that surface.

Spectral hemispherical Tν Spectral flux transmitted by a surface, divided by that received by

—
transmittance Tλ that surface.

Radiance transmitted by a surface, divided by that received by that

Directional transmittance TΩ —
surface.

Spectral directional TΩ,ν Spectral radiance transmitted by a surface, divided by that received
—
transmittance TΩ,λ by that surface.

Hemispherical attenuation Radiant flux absorbed and scattered by a volume per unit length,
coefficient
μ m−1
divided by that received by that volume.

Spectral hemispherical μν Spectral radiant flux absorbed and scattered by a volume per unit
m−1
attenuation coefficient μλ length, divided by that received by that volume.

Directional attenuation Radiance absorbed and scattered by a volume per unit length,
μΩ m−1
coefficient divided by that received by that volume.
 Spectral directional μΩ,ν Spectral radiance absorbed and scattered by a volume per unit
m−1
attenuation coefficient μΩ,λ length, divided by that received by that volume.

See also
▪ Opacity (optics)

References
1. "Electronic warfare and radar systems engineering handbook" (https://web.archive.org/web/200
10913091738/http://ewhdbks.mugu.navy.mil/EO-IR.htm#transmission). Archived from the
original on September 13, 2001.
2. IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online
corrected version: (2006–) "Transmittance (https://goldbook.iupac.org/T06484.html)".
doi:10.1351/goldbook.T06484 (https://doi.org/10.1351%2Fgoldbook.T06484)
3. "Thermal insulation — Heat transfer by radiation — Physical quantities and definitions" (http://w
ww.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=16943). ISO
9288:1989. ISO catalogue. 1989. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
4. IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online
corrected version: (2006–) "Beer–Lambert law (https://goldbook.iupac.org/B00626.html)".
doi:10.1351/goldbook.B00626 (https://doi.org/10.1351%2Fgoldbook.B00626)

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