MODTRAN (MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission) is a computer program designed to model

atmospheric An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...

propagation of

electromagnetic radiation In physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is a self-propagating wave of the electromagnetic field that carries momentum and radiant energy through space. It encompasses a broad spectrum, classified by frequency or its inverse, wavelength ...

for the 100-50,000 cm⁻¹ (0.2 to 100 μm) spectral range. This covers the spectrum from middle

ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of ...

visible light Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm ...

far infrared Far infrared (FIR) or long wave refers to a specific range within the infrared spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. It encompasses radiation with wavelengths ranging from 15 μm ( micrometers) to 1 mm, which corresponds to a freque ...

. The most recently released version of the code, MODTRAN6, provides a spectral resolution of 0.2 cm⁻¹ using its 0.1 cm⁻¹ band model algorithm. Some aspects of MODTRAN are patented by Spectral Sciences, Inc. and the

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, who have shared development responsibility for the code and related

radiation transfer In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'' consisting of photons, such as radio waves, microwaves, infr ...

science collaboratively since 1987. The acronym MODTRAN was registered as a

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of the

US Government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, execut ...

, represented by the

, in 2008. All MODTRAN code development and maintenance is currently performed by Spectral Sciences while the Air Force handles code validation and verification. MODTRAN6 may be obtained from Spectral Sciences, Inc. MODTRAN is written entirely in FORTRAN. MODTRAN6 adds support for JSON formatted input files, along with a graphical user interface that enables users to load existing cases, interactively enter or modify inputs, save their JSON formatted input files, run MODTRAN6, and graphically view the newly generated spectral output data. Third parties, including Ontar, have also developed graphical user interfaces for MODTRAN in order to facilitate user interaction and ease of use.

External links

MODTRAN web site

USAF patent 5884226

USAF patent 7433806

Google scholar papers on MODTRAN

Main Page
Air Force Site {{DEFAULTSORT:Modtran Electromagnetic radiation Fortran libraries Atmospheric radiative transfer codes

See also

External links