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irradiance

American  
[ih-rey-dee-uhns] / ɪˈreɪ di əns /

noun

Physics.
  1. incident flux of radiant energy per unit area.


irradiance British  
/ ɪˈreɪdɪəns /

noun

  1. Also called: irradiation.   Ee.  the radiant flux incident on unit area of a surface. It is measured in watts per square metre Compare illuminance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of irradiance

First recorded in 1660–70; ir- 1 + radiance

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Utilizing archives of near-infrared observations of Neptune from both the Keck and Lick Observatories and the Hubble Space Telescope between 1994 and 2022, the scientists proved a positive correlation between cloud activity and the amount of electromagnetic energy emitted by the Sun at Solar Lyman-Alpha irradiance, a very specific wavelength they could effectively measure.

From Salon

They establish a positive correlation between cloud activity and the amount of electromagnetic energy emitted by the Sun at a very specific wavelength, which is known as Solar Lyman-Alpha irradiance.

From Salon

But for solar power generation, the amount of sunshine - also referred to as irradiance - is more important than the amount of heat,

From BBC

"It's because of this balance between irradiance and temperature that the record for peak half-hourly generation is always in April or May, because that's when we get sunny but relatively cool weather," says Jamie Taylor, a senior data scientist at Sheffield University.

From BBC

Cities at higher elevations get more solar irradiance than cities lower in altitude and that increases the reactions that turn nitrous oxide and volatile organic compounds into ozone.

From Salon