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RADIATION MEASUREMENT IN PHOTOBIOLOGY — CHOICE OF UNITS
Author(s) -
Craig R.E.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1964.tb08774.x
Subject(s) - photobiology , photometry (optics) , radiant flux , optics , radiation , quantum , physics , radiant intensity , quantum optics , irradiance , computer science , theoretical physics , astronomy , quantum mechanics , stars
— The physical units most commonly used in photometry have limited value outside the field of illumination engineering. They tend also to conceal rather than display the physical concept of radiation as understood at present.Only by making the concepts of quantum theory accessible by a fundamental change of units, can those concepts make their full contribution to photobiology. The paper suggests adoption of the quantum as the unit of intensity and the electron volt as the specification of spectral quality, thus bringing the nomenclature of photometry into line with other branches of radiation physics. A start is made with definition of some of the essential derived units, source intensity, irradiation, and flux.