Solar Irradiance Measurements from a Research Aircraft

M. P. Thekaekara; R. Kruger; C. H. Duncan

doi:10.1364/AO.8.001713

Applied Optics
Vol. 8,
Issue 8,
pp. 1713-1732
(1969)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.8.001713

Solar Irradiance Measurements from a Research Aircraft

M. P. Thekaekara, R. Kruger, and C. H. Duncan

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M. P. Thekaekara, R. Kruger, and C. H. Duncan, "Solar Irradiance Measurements from a Research Aircraft," Appl. Opt. 8, 1713-1732 (1969)

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Abstract

Measurements of the solar constant and solar spectrum were made from a research aircraft flying at 11.58 km, above almost all of the highly variable and absorbing constituents of the atmosphere. A wide range of solar zenith angles was covered during six flights for over 14 h of observation. Results are presented from nine different instruments which complemented each other in measuring techniques and wavelength range and were calibrated and operated by different experimenters. A new value of the solar constant, 135.1 mW cm⁻², has been derived, as well as a revised solar spectral irradiance curve for zero air mass.

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Author	Year	Solar constant (mW cm⁻²)
P. Moon1	1940	132.3
L. B. Aldrich and G. C. Abbot2	1948	132.6
W. Schuepp3	1949	136.7–141.6
C. W. Allen4	1950	137.4
L. B. Aldrich and W. H. Hoover5	1952	134.9
F. S. Johnson6	1954	139.5
R. Stair and R. G. Johnston7	1956	143.0
C. W. Allen	1958	138.0
E. G. Laue and A. J. Drummond9	1968	136.1
M. P. Thekaekara, R. Kruger, and C. H. Duncan	1969	135.1

	Instruments	Energy detector	Type of instrument	Aircraft window material	Wavelength range	Experimenters
1	Hy-Cal pyrheliometer	Thermoelectric emf	Total	Infrasil	0.3–4 μ	McNutt, Riley
2	Ångström pyrheliometer 6618	Resistance strip	Total	Infrasil	0.3–4 μ	McNutt, Riley
3	Eppley normal incidence radiometer	Thermoelectric emf	Total	Infrasil	0.3–4 μ	McNutt, Riley
4	P-4 interferometer	1P28 or R136 PbS tube	Soleil prism	Infrasil	0.3–0.7 μ	Rogers, Ward
4	P-4 interferometer	1P28 or R136 PbS tube	Soleil prism	Infrasil	0.7–2.5 μ	Rogers, Ward
5	I-4 interferometer	Thermistor bolometer	Michelson's bi-mirror	Irtran 4	2.6–15 μ	Ward, Rogers
6	Perkin-Elmer monochromator	1P28 tube thermocouple	LiF prism	Sapphire	0.3–0.7 μ	Thekaekara, Winker, Stair
6	Perkin-Elmer monochromator	1P28 tube thermocouple	LiF prism	Sapphire	0.7–4 μ	Thekaekara, Winker, Stair
7	Cone radiometer	Resistance wire	Total	Infrasil	0.3–4 μ	Kruger, Winker, Ward
8	Filter radiometer	Phototube	Dielectric thin film filters	Dynasil	0.3–1.2 μ	Lester
9	Ångström pyrheliometer 7635	Resistance strip	Total	Dynasil	0.3–4 μ	Duncan
10	Electronic scanning spectrometer	Image dissector	Grating	Dynasil	0.3–0.48 μ	Webb
11	Leiss monochromator	EMI 9558 Q.A. tube PbS tube	Quartz double prism	Dynasil	0.3–0.7 μ	McIntosh, Park
11	Leiss monochromator	EMI 9558 Q.A. tube PbS tube	Quartz double prism	Dynasil	0.7–1.6 μ	McIntosh, Park
12	Cary 14 monochromator	1P28 tube Pbs tube	Grating and prism	Dynasil	0.3–0.7 μ	Arvesen, Griffin, Kinney
12	Cary 14 monochromator	1P28 tube Pbs tube	Grating and prism	Dynasil	0.7–2.5 μ	Arvesen, Griffin, Kinney

λ	P_λ	D_λ

0.140	0.0000048	0.00050
0.150	0.0000176	0.00059
0.160	0.000059	0.00087
0.170	0.00015	0.00164
0.180	0.00035	0.00349
0.190	0.00076	0.00760
0.200	0.00130	0.0152
0.205	0.00167	0.0207
0.210	0.00269	0.0288
0.215	0.00445	0.0420
0.220	0.00575	0.0609
0.225	0.00649	0.0835
0.230	0.00667	0.1079
0.235	0.00593	0.1312
0.240	0.00630	0.1534
0.245	0.00723	0.1788
0.250	0.00704	0.2053
0.255	0.0104	0.2375
0.260	0.0130	0.2808
0.265	0.0185	0.3391
0.270	0.0232	0.4163
0.275	0.0204	0.4960
0.280	0.0222	0.5758
0.285	0.0315	0.6752
0.290	0.0482	0.8225
0.295	0.0584	1.020
0.300	0.0514	1.223
0.305	0.0602	1.430
0.310	0.0686	1.668
0.315	0.0757	1.935
0.320	0.0819	2.227
0.325	0.0958	2.555
0.330	0.1037	2.925
0.335	0.1057	3.312
0.340	0.1050	3.702
0.345	0.1047	4.090
0.350	0.1074	4.483
0.355	0.1074	4.879
0.360	0.1055	5.271
0.365	0.1122	5.674
0.370	0.1173	6.099
0.375	0.1152	6.529
0.380	0.1117	6.949
0.385	0.1097	7.359
0.390	0.1099	7.765
0.395	0.1191	8.189
0.400	0.1433	8.675
0.405	0.1651	9.245
0.410	0.1759	9.876
0.415	0.1783	10.53
0.420	0.1758	11.19
0.425	0.1705	11.83
0.430	0.1651	12.45
0.435	0.1675	13.06
0.440	0.1823	13.71
0.445	0.1936	14.41
0.450	0.2020	15.14
0.455	0.2070	15.90
0.460	0.2080	16.66
0.465	0.2060	17.43
0.470	0.2045	18.19
0.475	0.2055	18.95
0.480	0.2085	19.72
0.485	0.1986	20.47
0.490	0.1959	21.20
0.495	0.1966	21.92
0.500	0.1946	22.65
0.505	0.1922	23.36
0.510	0.1882	24.07
0.515	0.1833	24.76
0.520	0.1833	25.43
0.525	0.1852	26.12
0.530	0.1842	26.80
0.535	0.1818	27.48
0.540	0.1783	28.14
0.545	0.1754	28.80
0.550	0.1725	29.44
0.555	0.1720	30. 08
0.560	0.1695	30.71
0.565	0.1700	31.34
0.570	0.1705	31.97
0.575	0.1710	32.60
0.580	0.1705	33.23
0.585	0.1700	33.86
0.590	0.1685	34.49
0.595	0.1665	35.11
0.600	0.1646	35.72
0.605	0.1626	36.33
0.610	0.1611	36.93
0.620	0.1576	38.11
0.630	0.1542	39.26
0.640	0.1517	40.39
0.650	0.1487	41.50
0.660	0.1468	42.00
0.670	0.1443	43.67
0.680	0.1418	44.73
0.690	0.1398	45.78
0.700	0.1369	46.80
0.710	0.1344	47.80
0.720	0.1314	48.79
0.730	0.1290	49.75
0.740	0.1260	50.69
0.750	0.1235	51.62
0.800	0.1107	55.95
0.850	0.0988	59.83
0.900	0.0889	63.30
0.950	0.0835	66.49
1.000	0.0746	69.42
1.1	0.0592	74.37
1.2	0.0484	78.35
1.3	0.0396	81.61
1.4	0.0336	84.32
1.5	0.0287	86.62
1.6	0.0244	88.59
1.7	0.0202	90.24
1.8	0.0159	91.58
1.9	0.0126	92.63
2.0	0.0103	93.48
2.1	0.0090	94.19
2.2	0.0079	94.82
2.3	0.0068	95.36
2.4	0.0064	95.85
2.5	0.0054	96.287
2.6	0.0048	96.664
2.7	0.0043	97.001
2.8	0.0039	97.305
2.9	0.0035	97.579
3.0	0.0031	97.823
3.1	0.0026	98.034
3.2	0.00226	98.214
3.3	0.00192	98.368
3.4	0.00166	98.501
3.5	0.00146	98.616
3.6	0.00135	98.720
3.7	0.00123	98.816
3.8	0.00111	98.902
3.9	0.00103	98.982
4.0	0.00095	99.055
4.1	0.00087	99.122
4.2	0.00078	99.182
4.3	0.00071	99.238
4.4	0.00065	99.289
4.5	0.00059	99.335
4.6	0.00053	99.376
4.7	0.00048	99.414
4.8	0.00045	99.448
4.9	0.00041	99.480
5.0	0.000383	99.509
6,0	0.000175	99.716
7.0	0.000099	99.817
8.0	0.000060	99.876
9.0	0.000038	99.912
10.0	0.000025	99.935
11.0	0.0000170	99.951
12.0	0.0000120	99.962
13.0	0.0000087	99.969
14.0	0.0000055	99.975
15.0	0.0000049	99.9785
16.0	0.0000038	99.9817
17.0	0.0000031	99.9843
18.0	0.0000024	99.9863
19.0	0.0000020	99.9879
20.0	0.0000016	99.9893
		100.0

Author	Year	Solar constant (mW cm⁻²)
P. Moon1	1940	132.3
L. B. Aldrich and G. C. Abbot2	1948	132.6
W. Schuepp3	1949	136.7–141.6
C. W. Allen4	1950	137.4
L. B. Aldrich and W. H. Hoover5	1952	134.9
F. S. Johnson6	1954	139.5
R. Stair and R. G. Johnston7	1956	143.0
C. W. Allen	1958	138.0
E. G. Laue and A. J. Drummond9	1968	136.1
M. P. Thekaekara, R. Kruger, and C. H. Duncan	1969	135.1

	Instruments	Energy detector	Type of instrument	Aircraft window material	Wavelength range	Experimenters
1	Hy-Cal pyrheliometer	Thermoelectric emf	Total	Infrasil	0.3–4 μ	McNutt, Riley
2	Ångström pyrheliometer 6618	Resistance strip	Total	Infrasil	0.3–4 μ	McNutt, Riley
3	Eppley normal incidence radiometer	Thermoelectric emf	Total	Infrasil	0.3–4 μ	McNutt, Riley
4	P-4 interferometer	1P28 or R136 PbS tube	Soleil prism	Infrasil	0.3–0.7 μ	Rogers, Ward
4	P-4 interferometer	1P28 or R136 PbS tube	Soleil prism	Infrasil	0.7–2.5 μ	Rogers, Ward
5	I-4 interferometer	Thermistor bolometer	Michelson's bi-mirror	Irtran 4	2.6–15 μ	Ward, Rogers
6	Perkin-Elmer monochromator	1P28 tube thermocouple	LiF prism	Sapphire	0.3–0.7 μ	Thekaekara, Winker, Stair
6	Perkin-Elmer monochromator	1P28 tube thermocouple	LiF prism	Sapphire	0.7–4 μ	Thekaekara, Winker, Stair
7	Cone radiometer	Resistance wire	Total	Infrasil	0.3–4 μ	Kruger, Winker, Ward
8	Filter radiometer	Phototube	Dielectric thin film filters	Dynasil	0.3–1.2 μ	Lester
9	Ångström pyrheliometer 7635	Resistance strip	Total	Dynasil	0.3–4 μ	Duncan
10	Electronic scanning spectrometer	Image dissector	Grating	Dynasil	0.3–0.48 μ	Webb
11	Leiss monochromator	EMI 9558 Q.A. tube PbS tube	Quartz double prism	Dynasil	0.3–0.7 μ	McIntosh, Park
11	Leiss monochromator	EMI 9558 Q.A. tube PbS tube	Quartz double prism	Dynasil	0.7–1.6 μ	McIntosh, Park
12	Cary 14 monochromator	1P28 tube Pbs tube	Grating and prism	Dynasil	0.3–0.7 μ	Arvesen, Griffin, Kinney
12	Cary 14 monochromator	1P28 tube Pbs tube	Grating and prism	Dynasil	0.7–2.5 μ	Arvesen, Griffin, Kinney

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Applied Optics