General Description

Radiance sources in Application are represented with set of elementary point sources combined together and having the same irradiation properties. There are three types of shape of radiation sources are presented with Application: Spherical , Cylindrical , and Elliptical Sources.

As usual for all Elements, Radiation Sources are represented within Project Window as hierarchical structure containing their properties. Typical hierarchy of Radiation sources is depicted on figure below:

Here:

To create new Radiation Source:

Spherical Sources

Spherical Sources is a simplest type of gas Radiation Sources represented with Application. Spherical Source is a default type for newly created radiation sources. It is simulated as a sphere containing point radiation sources as any point within itself. All elementary sources has the same irradiation properties. General view of spherical source is presented below:

There are two types of spatial distribution of irradiance emitted with spherical sources: Cone and Indicatrix. Differences between them are illustrated with figure below:

Cone Radiation Source

Indicatrix Radiation Source

In both cases, axis of indicatrix is X one of internal Coordinate System of Source. As a default (just after Source have been created), it is codirectional with X axis of global Cartesian Coordinate System of your Project. You can change it orientation with changing of orientation of whole Source.

To get spherical source with uniform spatial distribution of irradiation within some angle:

To get spherical source with arbitrary spatial distribution of irradiation:

Zonal Ellipse

Zonal Ellipse is a more complex type of gas Radiation Source. First, it allows to get elliptical bounds of set of elementary irradiation sources. Second, it allows to set several zones of irradiation having different parameters. Crossection example of Zonal Ellipse source with corresponding hierarchical tree are shown below:

As it shown, Zonal Ellipse source may consists of several elliptical radiation zones having different shape and brightness. Focuses of all elliptical zones will be paced on the same line, that is, as a default, it is codirectional with X axis of global Cartesian Coordinate System of your Project. Note there is single type of spatial distribution of emitted energy is allowed for Zonal Ellipse sources -- Cone. See description of Cone type of spatial distribution within Spherical Sources for reference.

To get Elliptical Source with arbitrary spatial distribution of irradiation:

After creating Zonal Ellipse source you can set several zones with different brightness within each one. See Zonal Distribution Editing for reference.

Zonal Cylinder

Zonal Cylinder is the next type of zonally distributed source of irradiation. In contrary to Zonal Ellipse sources, it allows to get set of cylindrical shape zones of irradiation as it shown below:

Axes of all cylindrical zones are the same. As a default, it is oriented codirectionally to X axis of global Cartesian Coordinate System of your Project. Like Zonal Ellipse, there is single type of spatial distribution of emitted energy is allowed for Zonal Cylinder sources -- Cone. See description of Cone type of spatial distribution within Spherical Sources for reference.

To get Cylindrical Source with arbitrary spatial distribution of irradiation:

After creating Zonal Cylinder source you can set several zones with different brightness within each one. See Zonal Distribution Editing for reference.

Editing Radiation Sources

Most of properties of Radiation Sources may be edited as usual for any other Element. That is: Color; Medium; Position; Rotation. See corresponding sections of General Editing of Element chapter for reference. Here just parameters specific for Radiation Sources will be described.

Indicatrix

As it was mentioned above, generally there are two types of spatial energy distribution are allowed for Radiation Sources at Application -- Cone and Indicatrix.

In the case of Cone Angle type of indicatrix, you can just change vertex angle of cone shown below:

To edit Cone Angle Property:

In the case of Indicatrix type of distribution, you can set shape of indicatrix according to your needs. Figures describing how you should describe indicatrix are shown below:

To edit Indicatrix Property:

Note because indicatrix is represented as figure of revolution it is enough just set check points of indicatrix within 0-180 degrees.

Zonal Distribution

There are some consideration dealing with creating and editing of different zones for Zonal Ellipse and Zonal Cylinder types of Sources here. Figures below explain how different zones should be set and configured:

To set and edit source zones:

Note there are some restrictions should be taken into account while you are creating Zone Ellipse or Zone Cylinder Source.

You should not normalize Brightness values for all zones. Because of Brightness within Application will be calculated incrementally, starting from first zone, correct behavior of whole source will be achieved (it is a reason why zones should not overlap). So, if you want describe source having 1000K at the center and 100K at peripheral, just enter corresponding values in Brightness column.

Therefore, general view of allowed both zone distribution and brightness distribution within zones are shown with crossection figure at the left part of table below:

At the right side of table incorrect case of zonal source definition is shown. Such kind of Radiation Sources should be defined with several ones. In this case, each source will be affected independently.

Spectral Emission

With Application, you can define Radiation Source with either linear or continuous Spectral Distribution. Figures below explain difference between both types of distribution and illustrate procedure of editing of Spectral Emission property of Radiation Source.

Line Spectrum Continuous Spectrum Spectral Emission Settings

While you are set Line Spectrum mode just contribution of specified spectral lines will be taken into account during analysis procedure. Otherwise, contribution of whole range between  limiting spectral lines will be accounted for.

To set and edit Spectral Emission property: