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Solid Angle Cheat Sheet

Plane angle is defined by arc length over radius (α=s/r). Solid angle is defined as the area on a unit sphere (ω=A). Differential solid angle (dω) is defined as the limit of the ratio between a small area (dA) and the square of the distance (r^2) from the center. Finite solid angles are calculated by integrating differential solid angles over the bounded region in spherical coordinates. Useful facts are that the solid angle of a full sphere is 4π steradians and the solid angle of a hemisphere is 2π steradians.

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Raj Bhakta
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361 views1 page

Solid Angle Cheat Sheet

Plane angle is defined by arc length over radius (α=s/r). Solid angle is defined as the area on a unit sphere (ω=A). Differential solid angle (dω) is defined as the limit of the ratio between a small area (dA) and the square of the distance (r^2) from the center. Finite solid angles are calculated by integrating differential solid angles over the bounded region in spherical coordinates. Useful facts are that the solid angle of a full sphere is 4π steradians and the solid angle of a hemisphere is 2π steradians.

Uploaded by

Raj Bhakta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GEOMETRY OF RADIATION

Plane Angle

Solid Angle

Differential Solid Angle

unit circle

unit sphere

= arc length [ radian]

= area on a unit sphere

[ steradian] , [ sr ]

dA
r

circle of
radius r

2 1
2 r

sphere of
radius r

4 12
4 r 2

s
r

Differential Solid Angle

d =


= ( , )

+ d and + d

b
r sin
=
rd
r


b = r sin d

What solid anlgle


corresponds to this variation?

is an azimutal angle: 0 2
is a polar angle:
0

dA

= r 2 sin d d

+ d
r sin

dA

differential solid angle


d

( , )

d =

rd

x = r cos sin
z = r cos

dA
= sin d d
r2

(12.8 )

+ d

s
=
r

y = r sin sin

( r sin d ) ( rd )

rd


= ( , )

(12.7 )


variation of the direction = ( , )

Direction is defined by

a pair of angles: = ( , )

dA
r2

Consider a differential

in spherical coordinates

A
r2

x2 + y 2 + z 2 = r 2

2 2

Finite Solid Angle


in spherical coordinates

solid angle

Consider a finite solid angle


bounded by the directions:

sin d d

1 1

2
2

cos ( 2 )

substution
= cos

d d

=1 = cos (1 )

1 2 and 1 2

= (2 1 )( cos 1 cos 2 )

Sphere

Useful Fact

Hemisphere

cos

sphere = 4

hemisphere = 2

sphere = =


=0 =0

hemisphere = 2

2 2

sin d d = 4

hemisphere =


=0 =0

2 2

sin d d = 2

cos d =
2

=0 =0

cos sin d d =

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