graybody

graybody [′grā‚bäd·ē]

(thermodynamics)

An energy radiator which has a blackbody energy distribution, reduced by a constant factor, throughout the radiation spectrum or within a certain wavelength interval. Also known as nonselective radiator.

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Graybody

An energy radiator which has a blackbody energy distribution, reduced by a constant factor, throughout the radiation spectrum or within a certain wavelength interval. The designation “gray” has no relation to the visual appearance of a body but only to its similarity in energy distribution to a blackbody. Most metals, for example, have a constant emissivity within the visible region of the spectrum and thus are graybodies in that region. The graybody concept allows the calculation of the total radiation intensity of certain substances by multiplying the total radiated energy (as given by the Stefan-Boltzmann law) by the emissivity. The concept is also quite useful in determining the true temperatures of bodies by measuring the color temperature. For a discussion of the Stefan-Boltzmann law and color temperature See Blackbody, Heat radiation