Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2015/iii/paper-59/4/d/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 59 4 d Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Assume a circular orbit of radius , a spherical planet, bolometric Bond albedo , negligible internal heat, unit thermal emissivity and complete redistribution of absorbed heat over the sphere. The stellar luminosity is , and the planet absorbs the incident radiative flux through its projected cross-section:Thermal reradiation is . Equating these gives the planetary equilibrium temperatureThe planet's radius cancels. A non-black thermal emissivity divides the absorbed flux by in the fourth-power balance. For uniform dayside-only reradiation, the emitting area is and . With no local redistribution, the substellar point has , while other points depend on incidence angle. These are different temperature conventions, not contradictory formulas.
The planetary equilibrium temperature is not the surface greenhouse temperature or the internal effective temperature of a planet. If intrinsic cooling matters and both powers escape through the same emitting area, the total effective temperature obeys .
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