Blackbody Emission Research Articles

Measurement of theTCMBevolution from the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect

In the standard hot cosmological model, the black-body temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), $T_{\rm CMB}$, increases linearly with redshift. Across the line of sight CMB photons interact with the hot ($\sim10^{7-8}$ K) and diffuse gas of electrons from galaxy clusters. This interaction leads to the well known thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (tSZ), which produces a distortion of the black-body emission law, depending on $T_{\rm CMB}$. Using tSZ data from the ${\it Planck}$ satellite it is possible to constrain $T_{\rm CMB}$ below z=1. Focusing on the redshift dependance of $T_{\rm CMB}$ we obtain $T_{\rm CMB}(z)=(2.726\pm0.001)\times (1+z)^{1-\beta}$ K with $\beta=0.009\pm0.017$, improving previous constraints. Combined with measurements of molecular species absorptions, we derive $\beta=0.006\pm0.013$. These constraints are consistent with the standard (i.e. adiabatic, $\beta=0$) Big-Bang model.

COMPTONIZATION SIGNATURES IN THE PROMPT EMISSION OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

We report results of a systematic study of the broad--band (2--2000 keV) time--resolved prompt emission spectra of a sample of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) detected with both the Wide Field Cameras (WFCs) aboard the BeppoSAX satellite and the BATSE experiment aboard CGRO. The main goal of the paper is to test spectral models of the GRB prompt emission that have recently been proposed. In particular, we test the photospheric model proposed by Ryde and Pe'er (2009), i.e., blackbody plus power--law, the addition of a blackbody emission to the Band function in the cases in which this function does not fit the data, and the Comptonization model developed by Titarchuk et al. (2012). By considering the few spectra for which the simple Band function does not provide a fully acceptable fit to the data (Frontera et al. 2012), only in one case we find a statistically significant better fit by adding a blackbody to this function. We confirm the results found fitting the BATSE spectra alone with a blackbody plus a power law. Instead when the BATSE GRB spectra are joined to those obtained with WFCs (2--28 keV), this model becomes unacceptable in most of time intervals in which we subdivide the GRB light curves. We find instead that the Comptonization model is always acceptable, even in the few cases in which the Band function is inconsistent with the data. We discuss the implications of these results.

Thermal quenching of far-red Fe3+ thermoluminescence of volcanic K-feldspars

Strong thermal quenching is observed from 77 to 550 K in the far-red luminescence of K-feldspars. This far-red emission, next to the emission in the UV-to-blue spectrum recorded for thermoluminescence (TL), is reported in most alkaline feldspars with a characteristic peak centered on 710 nm with a width of 100 nm. This emission was observed by cathodoluminescence (CL) at room temperature (RT) for more than 30 K-feldspars, ranging from volcanic sanidines to granitic microclines and sediments and it is attributed to an Fe3+ impurity. Contrary to ‘blue’ emission in volcanic feldspars, the far-red emission displays very low anomalous fading (AF). This makes it attractive for dating purposes; however, it has weak natural TL intensity, even at saturation, which competes with the black-body emission of the heater plate. This is in contrast to an intense tunneling afterglow at liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT). Further observations show that the disadvantage of weak TL can be overcome. Photoluminescence (PL) under UV shows a very strong thermal quenching effect of the far-red emission from 77 to 550 K, which accounts for the above contrast. Near the LNT, the far-red Fe3+ photoluminescence is at a maximum and is dominant over other emissions in the spectrum. However, as the temperature increases, the efficiency decreases, falling to well below one percent, whereas the ‘blue’ emissions remain stable. This thermal quenching effect in photoluminescence is paralleled in TL. After irradiation and during storage at RT, whereas the ‘blue’ emission in volcanic feldspars is affected by ‘fast’ anomalous fading, charge trapped at Fe3+ centers as latent far-red emission is almost stable. As the TL evolves and the extant ‘blue’ emission is emitted, more and more of the trapped charge associated with far-red emission recombines non-radiatively, resulting in an efficiency for emission in natural TL that is less than one percent. A modified band model, which calls for 'hopping' conductivity during the storage, accounts for the anomalous fading. Trap emptying at lower temperatures should lead to better use of the stable latent far-red stored charge for the dating of volcanic deposits.

Searching for infrared excesses in Sun-like stars observed by WISE

We present the results of a search of infrared excess candidates in a comprehensive (29\,000 stars) magnitude limited sample of dwarf stars, spanning the spectral range F2-K0, and brighter than V$=$15 mag. We searched the sample within the {\em WISE} all sky survey database for objects within 1 arcsecond of the coordinates provided by SIMBAD database and found over 9\,000 sources detected in all {\em WISE} bands. This latter sample excludes objects that are flagged as extended sources and those images which are affected by various optical artifacts. For each detected object, we compared the observed W4/W2 (22$\mu$m/4.6$\mu$m) flux ratio with the expected photospheric value and identified 197 excess candidates at 3$\sigma$. For the vast majority of candidates, the results of this analysis represent the first reported evidence of an IR excess. Through the comparison with a simple black-body emission model, we derive estimates of the dust temperature, as well as of the dust fractional luminosities. For more than 80% of the sample this temperature is higher than 120 K, suggesting the presence of warm circumstellar dust. Complementary observations at longer wavelengths (far-IR and sub-mm) are required for better characterising and explaining the origin of this emission.

Sensitivity of biosignatures on Earth-like planets orbiting in the habitable zone of cool M-dwarf Stars to varying stellar UV radiation and surface biomass emissions

We find that variations in the UV emissions of cool M-dwarf stars have a potentially large impact upon atmospheric biosignatures in simulations of Earth-like exoplanets i.e. planets with Earth's development, and biomass and a molecular nitrogen–oxygen dominated atmosphere. Starting with an assumed black-body stellar emission for an M7 class dwarf star, the stellar UV irradiation was increased stepwise and the resulting climate-photochemical response of the planetary atmosphere was calculated. Results suggest a “Goldilocks” effect with respect to the spectral detection of ozone. At weak UV levels, the ozone column was weak (due to weaker production from the Chapman mechanism) hence its spectral detection was challenging. At strong UV levels, ozone formation is stronger but its associated stratospheric heating leads to a weakening in temperature gradients between the stratosphere and troposphere, which results in weakened spectral bands. Also, increased UV levels can lead to enhanced abundances of hydrogen oxides which oppose the ozone formation effect. At intermediate UV (i.e. with ×10 the stellar UV radiative flux of black body Planck curves corresponding to spectral class M7) the conditions are “just right” for spectral detection. Results suggest that the planetary ozone profile is sensitive to the UV output of the star from ~200–350nm.We also investigated the effect of increasing the top-of-atmosphere incoming Lyman-α radiation but this had only a minimal effect on the biosignatures since it was efficiently absorbed in the uppermost planetary atmospheric layer, mainly by abundant methane. Earlier studies have suggested that the planetary methane is an important stratospheric heater which critically affects the vertical temperature gradient, hence the strength of spectral emission bands. We therefore varied methane and nitrous oxide biomass emissions, finding e.g. that a lowering in methane emissions by ×100 compared with the Earth can influence temperature hence have a significant effect on biosignature spectral bands such as those of nitrous oxide. Our work emphasises the need for future missions to characterise the UV of cool M-dwarf stars in order to understand potential biosignature signals.

MAXI/GSC Discovery of the Black-Hole Candidate MAXI J1305–704

We present the first results on a new black-hole candidate, MAXI J1305–704, observed by MAXI/GSC. The new X-ray transient, named as MAXIJ1305–704, was first detected by the MAXI-GSC all-sky survey on 2012 April 9 in the direction to the outer Galactic bulge at $(l,b)=(304_\cdot^\circ 2,-7_\cdot^\circ 6)$. A Swift/XRT follow-up observation confirmed the uncatalogued point source, and localized it to the position at $(13^\textrm h06^\textrm m56_\cdot^\textrm s44,-70^\circ27^\prime4.^{\prime\prime}91)$. The source continued its activity for about five months, until 2012 August. The MAXI/GSC light curve in the 2–10 keV band and the variation of the hardness ratio of the 4–10 keV to the 2–4 keV flux revealed the hard-to-soft state transition on the the sixth day (April 15) in the brightening phase and the soft-to-hard transition on the ∼60th day (June 15) in the decay phase. The luminosity at the initial hard-to-soft transition was significantly higher than that at the soft-to-hard transition in the decay phase. The X-ray spectra in the hard state are represented by a single power-law model with a photon index of ∼2.0, while those in the soft state need such an additional soft component as represented by a multi-color disk blackbody emission with an inner disk temperature of ∼0.5–1.2 keV. All of the obtained features support the source identification of a Galactic black-hole binary located in the Galactic bulge.

Performance analysis of experimentally viable photonic crystal enhanced thermophotovoltaic systems

One of the keys towards high efficiency thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion systems lies in spectral control. Here, we present detailed performance predictions of realistic TPV systems incorporating experimentally demonstrated advanced spectral control components. Compared to the blackbody emitter, the optimized two-dimensional (2D) tantalum (Ta) photonic crystal (PhC) selective emitter enables up to 100% improvement in system efficiency. When combined with the well characterized cold side tandem filter and the latest InGaAs TPV cells, a TPV energy conversion system with radiant heat-to-electricity efficiency of 25% and power density of 0.68 W cm(-2) is achievable today even at a relatively low temperature of 1320 K. The efficiency could be increased to ∼ 40% (the theoretical 0.62 eV single bandgap TPV thermodynamic limit at 1320 K is 55%) as future implementation of more optimized TPV cells approach their theoretical thermodynamic limit.

REVISITING PUTATIVE COOL ACCRETION DISKS IN ULTRALUMINOUS X-RAY SOURCES

Soft, potentially thermal spectral components observed in some ULXs can be fit with models for emission from cool, optically-thick accretion disks. If that description is correct, the low temperatures that are observed imply accretion onto "intermediate-mass" black holes. Subsequent work has found that these components may follow an inverse relationship between luminosity and temperature, implying a non-blackbody origin for this emission. We have re-analyzed numerous XMM-Newton spectra of extreme ULXs. Crucially, observations wherein the source fell on a chip gap were excluded owing to their uncertain flux calibration, and the neutral column density along the line of sight to a given source was jointly determined by multiple spectra. The luminosity of the soft component is found to be positively correlated with temperature, and to be broadly consistent with L ~ T^4 in the measured band pass, as per blackbody emission from a standard thin disk. These results are nominally consistent with accretion onto black holes with masses above the range currently known in Galactic X-ray binaries, though there are important caveats. Emission from inhomogeneous or super-Eddington disks may also be consistent with the data.

Electrically driven, narrow-linewidth blackbody emission from carbon nanotube microcavity devices

We report electrically driven narrow-linewidth blackbody emission from carbon-nanotube with Fabry-Perot microcavities. We fabricated two types of devices with microcavities consisting of either gold mirrors or distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR). Gold-mirror microcavity devices exhibit blackbody emission with narrowed full-width at half-maximum of ∼50 nm in contrast to the broad normal blackbody emission spectrum. The spectra from these devices can be explained by theoretical calculations accounting for the temperature-dependent intrinsic blackbody spectra and transmittance spectrum of the microcavity. Moreover, the DBR microcavity devices show a narrower resonant peak inside the photonic bandgap, compared with the gold-mirror microcavity device.

First results of the SONS survey: submillimetre detections of debris discs

New detections of debris discs at submillimetre wavelengths present highly valuable complementary information to prior observations of these sources at shorter wavelengths. Characterization of discs through spectral energy distribution modelling including the submillimetre fluxes is essential for our basic understanding of disc mass and temperature, and presents a starting point for further studies using millimetre interferometric observations. In the framework of the ongoing SCUBA-2 Observations of Nearby Stars, the instrument SCUBA-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope was used to provide measurements of 450 and 850µm fluxes towards a large sample of nearby main-sequence stars with debris discs detected previously at shorter wavelengths. We present the first results from the ongoing survey, concerning 850µm detections and 450µm upper limits towards 10 stars, the majority of which are detected at submillimetre wavelengths for the first time. One, or possibly two, of these new detections is likely a background source. We fit the spectral energy distributions of the star+disc systems with a blackbody emission approach and derive characteristic disc temperatures. We use these temperatures to convert the observed fluxes to disc masses. We obtain a range of disc masses from 0.001 to 0.1 M⊕, values similar to the prior dust mass measurements towards debris discs. There is no evidence for evolution in dust mass with age on the main sequence, and indeed the upper envelope remains relatively flat at ≈0.5 M⊕ at all ages. The inferred disc masses are lower than those from disc detections around pre-main-sequence stars, which may indicate a depletion of solid mass. This may also be due to a change in disc opacity, though limited sensitivity means that it is not yet known what fraction of pre-main-sequence stars have discs with dust masses similar to debris disc levels. New, high-sensitivity detections are a path towards investigating the trends in dust mass evolution.

CW CO2 -Laser-Induced Formation of Fulgurite on Lime-Pozzolan Mortar

A glassy material similar to fulgurites (fusion of the soil which has been struck by lightning) was prepared by continuous wave (CW) CO2 laser (λ = 10.6 μm) ablation of lime–pozzolan mortar at medium-vacuum conditions and atmospheric pressure. In all the irradiated samples, the determined surface temperature is higher than the melting temperature of mortar (1556 K), so the surface is melted and converted into an amorphous glassy when cooled. The samples were studied combining laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy. The emission induced by the CW CO2 laser is mainly due to electronic relaxation of Na, K, Si, Si+, Ca, O, N, and CaOH species along with an intense continuum due to blackbody emission. The emission induced on both natural and produced fulgurite is mostly due to electronic relaxation of Ca, Ca+, Si, Si+, Si2+, Si3+, H, Na, K, Mg, N, O, CaOH, and OH species with different relative intensities in some of them. Raman spectra show that the glassy formed material is similar to natural fulgurites, with the main difference arising from portlandite formed over the surface of the lime–pozzolan mortar. As the laser power increases, less density SiO2 glass is formed with more Q4 and Q1 units present.

The degeneracy between dust colour temperature and spectral index

Sub-millimetre dust emission provides information on the physics of interstellar clouds and dust. Noise can produce anticorrelation between the colour temperature T_C and the spectral index beta. This must be separated from the intrinsic beta(T) relation of dust. We compare methods for the analysis of the beta(T) relation. We examine sub-millimetre observations simulated as simple modified black body emission or using 3D radiative transfer modelling. In addition to chi^2 fitting, we examine the results of the SIMEX method, basic Bayesian model, hierarchical models, and one method that explicitly assumes a functional form for beta(T). All methods exhibit some bias. Bayesian method shows significantly lower bias than direct chi^2 fits. The same is true for hierarchical models that also result in a smaller scatter in the temperature and spectral index values. However, significant bias was observed in cases with high noise levels. Beta and T estimates of the hierarchical model are biased towards the relation determined by the data with the highest S/N ratio. This can alter the recovered beta(T) function. With the method where we explicitly assume a functional form for the beta(T) relation, the bias is similar to the Bayesian method. In the case of an actual Herschel field, all methods agree, showing some degree of anticorrelation between T and beta. The Bayesian method and the hierarchical models can both reduce the noise-induced parameter correlations. However, all methods can exhibit non-negligible bias. This is particularly true for hierarchical models and observations of varying signal-to-noise ratios and must be taken into account when interpreting the results.

Blackbody Emission from Light Interacting with an Effective Moving Dispersive Medium

Intense laser pulses excite a nonlinear polarization response that may create an effective flowing medium and, under appropriate conditions, a blocking horizon for light. Here, we analyze in detail the interaction of light with such laser-induced flowing media, fully accounting for the medium dispersion properties. An analytical model based on a first Born approximation is found to be in excellent agreement with numerical simulations based on Maxwell's equations and shows that when a blocking horizon is formed, the stimulated medium scatters light with a blackbody emission spectrum. Based on these results, diamond is proposed as a promising candidate medium for future studies of Hawking emission from artificial, dispersive horizons.

A non-pulsating neutron star in the supernova remnant HESS J1731−347/G353.6−0.7 with a carbon atmosphere

Context: The CCO candidate in the center of the supernova remnant shell HESS J1731-347 / G353.6-0.7 shows no pulsations and exhibits a blackbody-like X-ray spectrum. If the absence of pulsations is interpreted as evidence for the emitting surface area being the entire neutron star surface, the assumption of the measured flux being due to a blackbody emission translates into a source distance that is inconsistent with current estimates of the remnant's distance. Aims: With the best available observational data, we extended the pulse period search down to a sub-millisecond time scale and used a carbon atmosphere model to describe the X-ray spectrum of the CCO and to estimate geometrical parameters of the neutron star. Methods: To search for pulsations we used data of an observation of the source with XMM-Newton performed in timing mode. For the spectral analysis, we used earlier XMM-Newton observations performed in imaging mode, which permits a more accurate treatment of the background. The carbon atmosphere models used to fit the CCO spectrum are computed assuming hydrostatic and radiative equilibria and take into account pressure ionization and the presence of spectral lines. Results: Our timing analysis did not reveal any pulsations with a pulsed fraction above ~8% down to 0.2 ms. This finding further supports the hypothesis that the emitting surface area is the entire neutron star surface. The carbon atmosphere model provides a good fit to the CCO spectrum and leads to a normalization consistent with the available distance estimates of the remnant. The derived constraints on the mass and radius of the source are consistent with reasonable values of the neutron star mass and radius. After the CCO in Cas A, the CCO in HESS J1731-347 / G353.6-0.7 is the second object of this class for which a carbon atmosphere model provides a consistent description of X-ray emission.

TIME-RESOLVED PROPERTIES AND GLOBAL TRENDS IN dMe FLARES FROM SIMULTANEOUS PHOTOMETRY AND SPECTRA

We present a homogeneous survey of line and continuum emission from near-ultraviolet (NUV) to optical wavelengths during twenty M dwarf flares with simultaneous, high cadence photometry and spectra. These data were obtained to study the white-light continuum components at bluer and redder wavelengths than the Balmer jump. Our goals were to break the degeneracy between emission mechanisms that have been fit to broadband colors of flares and to provide constraints for radiative-hydrodynamic (RHD) flare models that seek to reproduce the white-light flare emission. The main results from the continuum analysis are the following: 1) the detection of Balmer continuum (in emission) that is present during all flares and with a wide range of relative contributions to the continuum flux at bluer wavelengths than the Balmer jump; 2) a blue continuum at flare maximum that is linearly decreasing with wavelength from \lambda = 4000-4800\AA, matched by the spectral shape of hot, blackbody emission with typical temperatures of T_{BB}~9000-14,000 K; 3) a redder continuum apparent at wavelengths longer than H\beta\ (\lambda > 4900\AA) which becomes relatively more important to the energy budget during the late gradual phase. We calculate Balmer jump flux ratios and compare to RHD model spectra. The model ratios are too large and the blue-optical (\lambda = 4000-4800\AA) slopes are too red in both the impulsive and gradual decay phases of all twenty flares. This discrepancy implies that further work is needed to understand the heating at high column mass during dMe flares. (Abridged)

Chlorine in the stratosphere

This paper reviews the various aspects of chlorine compounds in the stratosphere, both their roles as reactants and as tracers of dynamical processes. In the stratosphere, reactive chlorine is released from chlorofluorocarbons and other chlorine-containing organic source gases. To a large extent reactive chlorine is then sequestered in reservoir species ClONO2 and HCl. Re-activation of chlorine happens predominantly in polar winter vortices by heterogeneous reaction in combination with sunlight. Catalytic cycles involving Cl, ClO, BrO, Cl2O2, ClO2, and others like NO, NO2, OH, and HO2 remove odd oxygen (ozone and atomic oxygen) from the atmosphere. Under an ozone hole condition, the ClO dimer cycle is particularly important, while in mid-latitudes the short-lived reservoir HOC1 has some importance. Solar proton events can also affect stratospheric chlorine chemistry, but whether solar protons effectively activate or deactivate chlorine was shown to depend on illumination conditions. The lifetime of chlorofluorocarbons has an impact on the availability of ozone destructing substances in the stratosphere and depends on the Brewer-Dobson circulation which controls at which altitudes and how long an air parcel is exposed to photochemistry. In turn, the chlorine-containing source gases can be used as tracers to constrain the age of stratospheric air and thus to diagnose the Brewer-Dobson circulation. The use of complementary measurement systems was essential to extend our knowledge on chlorine-containing compounds in the stratosphere. ClO is best measured by remote sensing in its rotational bands in the far infrared and microwave region. For HOC1 the far infrared bands are ideal, but some substantial information was also gained with microwave and mid-infrared measurements. ClONO2 is only measured in the thermal infrared, while HCl has a measurable signal in the microwave, far infrared and mid-infrared regions. The mid-infrared HCl lines, however, are situated at wavelengths where blackbody emission at terrestrial temperatures is so low that infrared measurements of HCl are possible only in solar absorption geometry, but not in thermal emission. Chlorine source gases are most accurately measured by air sampling techniques, while global coverage can only be achieved by satellite-borne thermal infrared measurements. In epistemological terms, research on stratospheric chemistry and particularly the role of chlorine compounds used various scientific concepts from deductive reasoning, falsificationism, abductive reasoning and so-called “puzzle-solving within normal science”. The structuralist theory of science with the concept of non-statement view of theories, however, seems to be best applicable to stratospheric chlorine research of the recent decades.

What is so great about nighttime VIIRS data for the detection and characterization of combustion sources?

The Suomi National Polar Partnership (SNPP) is a satellite operated jointly by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The primary imaging sensor on SNPP is the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). Among imaging meteorological satellite sensors the VIIRS is unique in collecting visible, near-infrared and short-wave infrared spectral radiances at night. With sunlight eliminated, these spectral bands make it possible to observe the radiant emissions from gas flares, biomass burning, industrial sites and volcanoes worldwide every 24 hours. With multispectral detections it is possible to model the blackbody emission curve (also known as a Planck curve), which can then be used to estimate the temperature of the source, size of the source (m 2 ), radiative heat intensity (W/m 2 ), radiant heat (MW). This is a substantial advance over satellite fire products based on detection in a single spectral band.

Discovery of high and very high-energy emission from the BL Lacertae object SHBL J001355.9–185406

The detection of the high-frequency peaked BL Lac object (HBL) SHBL J001355.9-185406 ($z$=0.095) at high (HE; 100 MeV$<$E$<$300 GeV) and very high-energy (VHE; $E>100\,{\rm GeV}$) with the \fer\ Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is reported. Dedicated observations have been performed with the H.E.S.S. telescopes, leading to a detection at the $5.5\,\sigma$ significance level. The measured flux above 310 GeV is $(8.3 \pm 1.7_{\rm{stat}}\pm 1.7_{\rm{sys}})\times 10^{-13}$ photons \cms\ (about 0.6% of that of the Crab Nebula), and the power law spectrum has a photon index of \indexHESS. Using 3.5 years of publicly available \fla\ data, a faint counterpart has been detected in the LAT data at the $5.5\,\sigma$ significance level, with an integrated flux above 300 MeV of $(9.3 \pm 3.4_{\rm stat} \pm 0.8_{\rm sys})\times 10^{-10}$ photons \cms\ and a photon index of $\Gamma = 1.96 \pm 0.20_{\rm stat} \pm 0.08_{\rm sys}$. X-ray observations with \textit{Swift}-XRT allow the synchrotron peak energy in $\nu F_\nu$ representation to be located at $\sim 1.0\,{\rm keV}$. The broadband spectral energy distribution is modelled with a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model and the optical data by a black-body emission describing the thermal emission of the host galaxy. The derived parameters are typical for HBLs detected at VHE, with a particle dominated jet.

All‐In‐One Optical Heater‐Thermometer Nanoplatform Operative From 300 to 2000 K Based on Er3+ Emission and Blackbody Radiation

A single nanoplatform integrating laser-induced heat generation by gold nanoparticles and temperature sensing up to 2000 K via (Gd,Yb,Er)2 O3 nanorods is demonstrated, which presents considerable potential for nanoscale photonics and biomedicine. Blackbody emission is ascertained from the temperature increment with AuNP concentration, emission color coordinates as a function of the laser pump power, and Planck's law of blackbody radiation.

Impact of Wildfires on LPG Tanks

Research on wildland fires focused traditionally on two main objectives: the prediction of the velocity at which a fire will spread and the estimation of the released heat from the flame front of the wildland fire. Both topics are key points in order to evaluate the gravity of the fire and to organize firemen intervention to fight the fire (Alexandridis et al., 2011). The wildland-urban interface (WUI) may be defined as a contact zone between a natural zone such as a forest and a heavy or light urbanized area. At this interface, the threat to homes and their destruction during wildland fires, with associated concerns for life safety, are significant problems for emergency managers throughout the world. Due to the increasing urbanization of the surrounding countryside, the number of these areas is growing rapidly. In the last ten years, wildfires resulting in residential destruction occurred in Australia, Canada, Mediterranean countries and the United States. The WUI areas are complex systems, difficult to manage, especially in the context of wildfire prevention. (Butler, 1974) contributed the first description of urban wildland interface not in geographic terms but in terms of fire process. He defined that interface as the occurrence of fire spreading from wildland fuel (vegetation) to urban fuel (homes), in terms of the wildland fire becoming close enough for its flames and (or) its firebrands (lofted burning embers) to contact flammable parts of a home or the home’s immediate surroundings. The main question of his description is “How close is close enough for home ignition ?”. Well know operational models of fire spreading (for example BEHAVE, FIRE CODE, FORE FIRE models) are no longer valid in the urban interface. Some authors coupled wildfire dynamics with structure ignition models. (Cohen, 2000) proposed the Structure Ignition Model (SIAM). This model is based on strong assumptions, as the flame is assumed to be a uniform parallel-plane black body emitter. The flame-tostructure distance does not allow for flame contact. This model overestimates the heat received by the structure, as reported by (Porterie et al., 2007). These latter authors developed a three-dimensional physics-based model able to describe the near-field dynamics of a wildland fire, as well as its impact on structural elements. This model was validated by a prescribed burning and fire tunnel experiments. (Zarate