The computation of radiative heating rates in the atmosphere

Abstract

For the case where absorption bands of different atmospheric constituents do not overlap, and where Kirchhoff’s law is obeyed, it is a simple matter to derive from the equation of radiative transfer a formal expression for the rate of heating at any height in a plane stratified atmosphere due to the interaction of molecules of a single absorbing constituent with radiation. Let N(z) be the number density of molecules of the absorber; K v (z) be the absorption coefficient per molecule at frequency v; T(z) be the absolute temperature; h(z) be the heating rate (energy absorbed per unit volume per unit all at height z .