Modern Physics
Chapter Five.
Quantum theory of light.
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5.1 Black Body Radiation.
• ** An ideal black body is defined as a perfect
absorber and perfect emitter of radiation.
• It reflects no light at all, it must appear perfectly
black unless it is emitting light in the visible region
of the spectrum.
• A Black body that is in thermal equilibrium has a
constant spectral distribution of radiated energy,
which is characteristic of all Black bodies
maintained at that same temperature.
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• An Experimental study of the radiation from an
ideal blackbody was done by observing the spectral
distribution of blackbody radiation for several
different temperatures as a function of the
wavelength.
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• *** The general characteristics of the ( curves )
blackbody radiation are:
• 1) the short wavelength “cutoff “ advances toward
the origin as the temperature increases.
• 2) Raising the temperature increases the energy of
all spectral components.
• 3) The peak of the curve shifts to shorter
wavelengths as the temperature increases.
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• 4) The shift of the peak of the curve was found to
obey the following empirical relationship, called
WIEN’S DISPLASMENT LAW of radiation.
λp * T = constant
→→ λ p1 * T1 = λ p2 * T2 = … = constant
Where λ p1 is the value of the wavelength
corresponding to the peak of the curve.
The constant is called Wien’s constant and its value
is:
Wien’s constant = 2.9 * 10-3 m-K.
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• ** A thermodynamic expression also exists which
relates the total power radiated per unit area of the
blackbody to its absolute temperature. This is
known as The Stefan – Boltzmann Law of Radiation
and expressed mathematically as:
• E ( T ) = σ * T4
• where σ = 5.67 * 10-8 watts m-2 K-4 .
• →→
• The total energy radiated in a given time by a
heated object is proportional to the fourth power of
its absolute Temperature.
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5.4 Planck’s Quantum Theory of
Radiations.
• The simplest model of a radiating body is to regard it as
a collection of a large number ( in the order of 1023) of linear
oscillators performing simple harmonic motion. Since
the particles are charged particles, they will radiate
electromagnetic waves.
• Planck examined a mathematical statistics of these
electromagnetic waves;
As a result of his work, he was led to certain assumption
about the nature of the electromagnetic oscillators. 7
• These postulates, which are the foundation of the
quantum theory of radiation are as follows:
• 1) The amount of energy emitted or absorbed by
an oscillator is proportional to its frequency
• ∆ε ~ ν
• *** & ∆ε = h ν
Where h is a constant of proportionality called
Blank's constant. its value is:h = 6.626 *10-34 Joule sec
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• 2) An oscillator cannot have an arbitrary energy, but
must occupy one of a discrete set of energy states
given by:
εn = n h ν ( ½ + n ) hν
Where n = 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , … is an integer.
It was assumed that the ground state corresponded to
the zero energy state. ( xxx ½ h ν )
→→
**** Plank’s Quantum theory of radiation means that
the energy states of an oscillator are discrete set of
quantized levels. ( not continuous energy states ).
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• *** The amount of energy emitted or absorbed is
also quantized; Each quantum of electromagnetic
energy h ν is called Photon.
the Photon has momentum
given by P = h/λ
*** But the Photon of frequency ν has no effect on
an oscillator of frequency ν̕ ≠ ν .
Emission of a photon occurs when the oscillator
energy drops to the next lower energy; the
frequency of the emitted light will correspond to
the oscillator frequency.
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• In what state is an oscillator most likely to be
found?
• If nothing excites it, it is most likely to be found in
the lowest energy state. ( Ground State )
• At absolute zero temperature all oscillators are in
the Ground State.
• At higher temperatures thermal agitation excites
some particles to higher energy states;
• So That: some sort of distribution over all possible
states will exist for each temperature.
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• The distribution function, which gives the # of
particles in the n-th state at an equilibrium
temperature T ; is known as the Maxwell-
Boltzmann distribution function.
• It is given By:
• N ( n ) = N0 e n/kT - ε
• Where:
• N (n) : is the # of particles in the n-th state.
• N0 : is the # of the particles in the ground state.
• εn : is the energy of the n-th state.
• k : is the Boltzmann constant.
• T : is the absolute temperature. 13
• OR: N1 = N0 e -( ε1- ε0)/kT
• Where: N1 = the # of particles in the first state.
N0 = the # of particles in the ground state.
ε1 = the energy of the first state = hν
ε0 = the energy of the ground state = 0
OR: N2 = N0 e-( ε2- ε0)/kT
OR: N3 = N0 e-( ε3- ε0)/kT
and so on…. Where ε = 2hν
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ε3 = 3hν
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• OR: N2 = N1 e-( ε2- ε1)/kT
• OR : N3 = N2 e -( ε3- ε2)/kT
• and so on….
• Note that: N1 / N0 < 1 &
• N2 / N1 < 1 &
• N3 / N2 < 1 & …..
• →→ N0 > N1 > N2 > N3 >….
• N0 = N1 = N2 = N3 =…. If T = ∞ ( infinity )
• What is about Negative absolute Temperatures?
Homework: 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ,14 ,15
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