The energy emitted by all bodies above absolute zero temperature due to the excitation by molecular vibration. Energy is transmitted between bodies without heating the space in between unless the medium is capable of absorbing energy. The Stefan–Boltzmann constant, σ, is used in thermal radiation calculations in which the rate of heat loss from a black body is:
where ε is the emissivity, σ the Stefan–Boltzmann constant, A is the area, and T is the absolute temperature. The SI units are J s−1.