Spectral Reflectance and Emittance of Particulate Materials 2: Application and Results

Experimental data on the spectral emittance of particulate minerals, obtained using a Michelson interferometer operating between 300 cm(-1) and 1400 cm(-1) are compared with the results of a new theory of the spectral reflectance (emittance) of such materials. The comparisons show that the theory predicts the infrared spectra of minerals quite well both for single substances and mixtures, over the wide particle size range between 0.3 micro and 330 micro. The good agreement suggests that the theory can be used in the application of remote infrared spectroscopy to such problems as the compositional analysis of the surface of a planet.