A number of unsolved problems in atmospheric radiative transfer are presented, including the light scattering and absorption by aerosols, the effect of mountains on radiation fields, and radiative transfer in the atmosphere–ocean system, with a specific application to the Asia–Pacific region. We discuss the issues of two nonspherical and inhomogeneous aerosol types, dust and black carbon, regar...

Radiative heat exchange at the nanoscale presents a challenge for several areas due to its scope and nature. Here, we provide a thermokinetic description of microscale radiative energy transfer including phonon-photon coupling manifested through a non-Debye relaxation behavior. We show that a lognormal-like distribution of modes of relaxation accounts for this non-Debye relaxation behavior lead...

For sensors constructed by freestanding membranes, when the gap between a freestanding membrane and the substrate or between membranes is at micron scale, the effects of near-field radiative heat transfer on the sensors' thermal performance should be considered during sensor design. The radiative heat flux is transferred from a membrane to a plane or from a membrane to a membrane. In the curren...