Identifying the Signature of the Solar UV Radiation Spectrum

The broadband spectrum of solar radiation is commonly characterized by indices such as the average photon energy (APE) and the blue fraction (BF). This work explores the effectiveness of the two indices in a narrower spectral band, namely the ultraviolet (UV). The analysis is carried out from two pe...

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Main Authors: Andrea-Florina Codrean, Octavian Madalin Bunoiu, Marius Paulescu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/4/427
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author Andrea-Florina Codrean
Octavian Madalin Bunoiu
Marius Paulescu
author_facet Andrea-Florina Codrean
Octavian Madalin Bunoiu
Marius Paulescu
author_sort Andrea-Florina Codrean
collection DOAJ
description The broadband spectrum of solar radiation is commonly characterized by indices such as the average photon energy (APE) and the blue fraction (BF). This work explores the effectiveness of the two indices in a narrower spectral band, namely the ultraviolet (UV). The analysis is carried out from two perspectives: sensitivity to the changes in the UV spectrum and the uniqueness (each index value uniquely characterizes a single UV spectrum). The evaluation is performed in relation to the changes in spectrum induced by the main atmospheric attenuators in the UV band: ozone and aerosols. Synthetic UV spectra are generated in different atmospheric conditions using the SMARTS2 spectral solar irradiance model. The closing result is a new index for the signature of the solar UV radiation spectrum. The index is conceptually just like the BF, but it captures the specificity of the UV spectrum, being defined as the fraction of the energy of solar UV radiation held by the UV-B band. Therefore, this study gives a new meaning and a new utility to the common UV-B/UV ratio.
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spelling doaj-art-fdcc50f3947641fa95e89a1705cf5a8b2025-08-20T02:17:24ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-04-0116442710.3390/atmos16040427Identifying the Signature of the Solar UV Radiation SpectrumAndrea-Florina Codrean0Octavian Madalin Bunoiu1Marius Paulescu2Faculty of Physics, West University of Timisoara, V. Parvan 4, 300223 Timisoara, RomaniaFaculty of Physics, West University of Timisoara, V. Parvan 4, 300223 Timisoara, RomaniaFaculty of Physics, West University of Timisoara, V. Parvan 4, 300223 Timisoara, RomaniaThe broadband spectrum of solar radiation is commonly characterized by indices such as the average photon energy (APE) and the blue fraction (BF). This work explores the effectiveness of the two indices in a narrower spectral band, namely the ultraviolet (UV). The analysis is carried out from two perspectives: sensitivity to the changes in the UV spectrum and the uniqueness (each index value uniquely characterizes a single UV spectrum). The evaluation is performed in relation to the changes in spectrum induced by the main atmospheric attenuators in the UV band: ozone and aerosols. Synthetic UV spectra are generated in different atmospheric conditions using the SMARTS2 spectral solar irradiance model. The closing result is a new index for the signature of the solar UV radiation spectrum. The index is conceptually just like the BF, but it captures the specificity of the UV spectrum, being defined as the fraction of the energy of solar UV radiation held by the UV-B band. Therefore, this study gives a new meaning and a new utility to the common UV-B/UV ratio.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/4/427ultraviolet radiationsolar radiation spectrumspectral indexatmospheric transmittanceaerosols
spellingShingle Andrea-Florina Codrean
Octavian Madalin Bunoiu
Marius Paulescu
Identifying the Signature of the Solar UV Radiation Spectrum
Atmosphere
ultraviolet radiation
solar radiation spectrum
spectral index
atmospheric transmittance
aerosols
title Identifying the Signature of the Solar UV Radiation Spectrum
title_full Identifying the Signature of the Solar UV Radiation Spectrum
title_fullStr Identifying the Signature of the Solar UV Radiation Spectrum
title_full_unstemmed Identifying the Signature of the Solar UV Radiation Spectrum
title_short Identifying the Signature of the Solar UV Radiation Spectrum
title_sort identifying the signature of the solar uv radiation spectrum
topic ultraviolet radiation
solar radiation spectrum
spectral index
atmospheric transmittance
aerosols
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/4/427
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