fiziks
Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, JEST, TIFR and GRE in PHYSICAL SCIENCES
7. The width of Spectrum Lines
There are several reasons for the finite line widths of spectral lines: The three major
reasons for line broadening is the Natural broadening, Doppler broadening and Pressure
broadening.
7.1 Natural broadening
h
The energy levels of the atoms have an energy uncertainty E related to their finite
ks
lifetime .
The frequency width of a spectral line
1 2
c
This is consistence with Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. According to Heisenberg’s
uncertainty relation
h
E
2t
Where E is the uncertainty in the measurement of energies and t is the mean life time
zi
of the level is finite and of the order of 10 -8s which is a finite value. Therefore E must
have a finite energy spread that means the energy levels are not sharp and hence the
broadening of the spectral lines. Thus broadening of spectral line which cannot be
reduced further for any reason is known as natural broadening.
7.2 Doppler Broadening
In a gas which is emitting radiation will have a distribution of velocities. Each photon
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emitted will be "red"- or "blue"-shifted by the Doppler effect depending on the velocity
of the atom relative to the observer. Higher the temperature of the gas the wider is the
distribution of velocities in the gas. Since the spectral line is a combination of all of the
emitted radiation, the higher the temperature of the gas, the broader will be the spectral
line emitted from that gas. This broadening effect is described by a Gaussian profile and
there is no associated shift. The Doppler shift in frequency will be
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fiziks, H.No. 40 D, G.F, Jia Sarai, Anand Institute of Mathematics,
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fiziks
Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, JEST, TIFR and GRE in PHYSICAL SCIENCES
(a) The apparent frequency
v
0 1
c
where is the observed frequency, 0 is the rest frequency, v is the velocity of the
emitter towards the observer, and c is the speed of light.
Positive sign is taken when source moving towards observer. Negative sign is taken when
source moving away from observer
ks
(b) Change in frequency
v
0 0
c
(c) The Doppler shift in gaseous:
0 2 RT
1.66
c M
7.3 Pressure Broadening:
As the pressure increases the distance between molecules becomes shorter.
(1) Collisions between molecules can shorten the lifetime, and hence the line width
zi
becomes larger.
(2) As the molecules get closer their potential fields overlap and this can change the
‘natural line width’. Clearly the line width will depend on the number of collisions per
second, i.e. on the number density of the molecules (Pressure) and the relative speed of
the molecules (the square root of the temperature)
fi
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fiziks, H.No. 40 D, G.F, Jia Sarai, Anand Institute of Mathematics,
Near IIT, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-16 28-B/6, Jia Sarai, Near IIT
Phone: 011-26865455/+91-9871145498 Hauz Khas, New Delhi-16
Website: www.physicsbyfiziks.com
Email:
[email protected] 37
