he objectives of this book remain the same and are more extensive than to provide a standard textbook for
a one-semester core course on thermal radiation, since it does not appear possible to cover all important topics
in the field of radiative heat transfer in a single graduate course. A number of important areas that would not
be part of a βstandardβ one-semester course have been treated in some detail. It is anticipated that the engineer
who may have used this book as his or her graduate textbook will be able to master these advanced topics
through self-study. By including all important advanced topics, as well as a large number of references for
further reading, the book is also intended as a reference book for the practicing engineer. On the other hand, a
few advanced topics are only presented at an introductory level; these include the section on solar thermal and
thermochemical energy conversion, and chapters on inverse radiation and radiative transfer at the micro- and
nanoscales. These should be understood as introductions to extensive new fields, giving the engineer a basic
understanding of these research areas, and a good foundation to embark on further reading of the pertinent
literature.
