Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

1.2 thermal radiation

Thermal radiation: The radiation emitted by a body as a result of temperature.

Blackbody : A body that surface absorbs all the thermal radiation incident on
them.

Spectral radiancy RT ( ): The spectral distribution of blackbody radiation.

RT ( )d : represents the emitted energy from a unit area per unit time
between and d at absolute temperature T.
1899 by Lummer and
Pringsheim

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

The spectral radiancy of blackbody radiation shows that:

(1) little power radiation at very low frequency

(2) the power radiation increases rapidly as increases from very

small value.
(3) the power radiation is most intense at certain max for particular
temperature.
(4) max , RT ( ) drops slowly, but continuously as increases
, and RT ( ) 0.
(5) m ax increases linearly with increasing temperature.

(6) the total radiation for all ( radiancy RT RT ( )d )

0

increases less rapidly than linearly with increasing temperature.

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

4
8
2 o
4
Stefans law (1879):RT T , 5.67 10 W / m K
Stefan-Boltzmann constant

Wiens displacement (1894): max T

1.3 Classical theory of cavity radiation

Rayleigh and Jeans (1900):

(1) standing wave with nodes at the metallic surface
(2) geometrical arguments count the number of standing waves
(3) average total energy depends only on the temperature

one-dimensional cavity:
one-dimensional electromagnetic standing wave
E ( x , t ) E0 sin(

2x

) sin(2 t )

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

for all time t, nodes at 2x / n , n 0,1,2,3.......

x0
x a 2a n 2a / n nc / 2a

standing wave
N ( )d : the number of allowed standing wave between and +d
n ( 2a / c ) dn ( 2a / c )d
N ( )d 2 dn (4a / c )d

two polarization states

d ( 2a / c )( d )
d ( 2a / c )

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

for three-dimensional cavity

r ( 2a / c ) dr ( 2a / c )d

the volume of concentric shell r r dr

2a 2 2 2a
2a
) v ( )d 4 ( ) 3 2 d
c
c
c
1
8a 3 2
8V 2
2
N ( )d 2 4r dr

d
3
3
8
c
c
The number of allowed electromagnetic standing wave in 3D

4r 2 dr 4 (

Proof:
( x / 2) cos / 2
( y / 2) cos / 2

/2

propagation
direction

( z / 2) cos / 2
E ( x , t ) E0 x sin(2x / x ) sin(2 t )
E ( y , t ) E0 y sin(2y / y ) sin(2 t )
E ( z , t ) E0 z sin(2z / z ) sin(2 t )

/2

nodal
planes

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

for nodes:

x 0, a ,2 x / x n x , n x 1,2,3.....
y 0, a ,2 y / y n y , n y 1,2,3.....
z 0, a ,2 z / z nz , nz 1,2,3.....

( 2a / ) cos n x , ( 2a / ) cos n y , ( 2a / ) cos nz

( 2a / ) 2 (cos 2 cos 2 cos 2 ) n x2 n 2y nz2
2a /

n x2 n 2y nz2

c / (c / 2a ) n x2 n 2y nz2 (c / 2a )r
r

n x2 n 2y nz2 ( 2a / c ) dr ( 2a / c )d

N ( r )dr (1 / 8)4r 2dr r 2dr / 2 N ( )d

N ( )d ( / 2)(2a / c )3 2d 4 (a / c )3 2d

considering two polarization state

N ( )d / V 2 4 (1 / c ) 3 2 d
N ( ) 8 2 / c 3 : Density of states per unit volume per unit frequency

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

the law of equipartition energy:

For a system of gas molecules in thermal equilibrium at temperature T,

the average kinetic energy of a molecules per degree of freedom is kT/2,

k 1.38 1023 joule / oK is Boltzmann constant.

average total energy of each standing wave : 2 KT / 2 KT

the energy density between and +d:

8 2
T ( )d
kTd Rayleigh-Jeans blackbody radiation
3
c

ultraviolet catastrophe

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

1.4 Plancks theory of cavity radiation
Plancks assumption: (T , ) and kT , 0
0

the origin of equipartition of energy:

Boltzmann distribution P ( ) e / kT / kT

P ( )d : probability of finding a system with energy between and +d

P ( )d

P ( )d
0

e / kT
1
/ kT
P
(

)
d

kT
)
e
|0 1
0
0 kT
kT
/ kT

e
0 P ( )d 0 kT d

[ ( kT )e / kT |0 ( kT )e / kT ] kT
0
kT
kT

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

Plancks assumption: 0, ,2 ,3 ,4 ..............

(1) 0 kT

small

(2) large 0

large

h
h 6.63 10

34

joul s

kT , kT

kT , kT
Planck constant

Using Plancks discrete energy to find

nh , n 0,1,2,3......
nh nh / kT
e

kT
n0
n0
kT
1 nh / kT
P
(

)
e

n 0
n 0 kT
h / kT

p( )

kT , kT

ne
n 0

e
n 0

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

ln e n
d n 0

kT [

e
n 0

d n

e
d

n 0

n 0

n 0

d
d
ln e n ] h
ln e n
d n 0
d n 0

1 e e 2 e 3 .....

n 0

X e

1 X X 2 X 3 ....... (1 X )1 (1 e )1
d
d
h
ln(1 e ) 1 ( h )
[ ln(1 e )]
d
d
1
h
h

h (
)
e

1 e
e 1 e h / kT 1

h kT e h / kT 1 h / kT kT
h kT e h / kT h 1 0

n
n

n 0

e
n 0

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

energy density between and +d:

8 2
h
T ( )

c3
e h / kT 1

T ( )d T ( )d
d
c
8hc
1
T ( ) T ( )
T ( ) 2
d

5 e hc / kT 1
dV
Ex: Show T ( ) (4 / c ) RT ( )

dA r dA cos

solid angle expanded by dA is

4r 2
4r 2
spectral radiancy:
dA cos
RT ( ) T ( )dV (
) /(dA t )
4r 2
2
/2
ct
cos 2
d d T ( )
r sin2 dr
2
0
0
0
4r t
c
T ( )
4

dA

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

Ex: Use the relation RT ( )d (4 / c ) T ( )d between spectral radiancy
and energy density, together with Plancks radiation law, to derive
Stefans law RT T 4 , 2 5 k 4 / 15c 2 h3
c
2 h 3
RT RT ( )d T ( )d 2 h / kT
d
0
0
0
4
c
e
1
2 ( kT )4 x 3
2
dx
x h / kT
c
h3 0 e x 1

3
x
4
2 ( kT )4 4
4
x
/(
e

1
)
dx

/ 15
2

T
0
3
c
h
15

2 5 k 4

15c 2 h 3

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

Ex: Show that

x 3 (e x 1) 1 dx 4 / 15

I x (e 1) dx x 3 e x (1 e x ) 1 dx
3

(1 e

x 1

1 e

2 x

..... e nx
n 0

I x e
3

nx

n 0

dx x e
n 0

( n1) x

1
dx
y 3 e y dy
4 0
n 0 ( n 1)

3
3
( n 1) x
e y
Set y ( n 1) x dx dy /(n 1) x y /(n 1) , e

y 3 e y dy 6

by consecutive partial integration

1
1
I 6

4
4
n 0 ( n 1)
n 1 n

1 2
F(x ) 2
6
n 1 n
2

1
?

4
n
n 1

1
1
1 4
F(x )
8 2 48 4 4
5
90
n 1 n
n 1 n
n 1 n
4

F : Fourier series expansion

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

Ex: Derive the Wien displacement law ( max T ), max T 0.2014hc / k .

T ( )

hc

5 e hc / kT 1

max T

d T ( )
5
hc
e hc / kT
0 hc / kT
0
hc / kT
2
d
e
kT (e
1)
x
x hc / kT
ex 1
5

Solve by plotting: find the intersection point for two functions

x
y1 1 , y2 e x
Y
5
y1 1 x / 5
intersection points:
x 0, x 4.965
max T 0.2014hc / k

y2 e x

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

1.5 The use of Plancks radiation law in
thermometry

optical pyrometer

(1) For monochromatic radiation of wave length the ratio of the spectral
intensities emitted by sources at T1 o K and T2 o K is given by

e hc / kT1 1
e hc / kT2 1

T1 : standard temperature ( Au Tmelting 1068oC )

T2 : unknown temperature

(2) 3o K blackbody radiation supports the big-bang theory.

Chapter 1 Thermal radiation and Plancks postulate

1.6 Plancks Postulate and its implication
Plancks postulate: Any physical entity with one degree of freedom whose
coordinate is a sinusoidal function of time
(i.e., simple harmonic oscillation can posses
only total energy nh
Ex: Find the discrete energy for a pendulum of mass 0.01 Kg suspended
by a string 0.01 m in length and extreme position at an angle 0.1 rad.

g
1

l 2

9.8
1.6(1 / sec)
0. 1

m gh m g(1 cos ) 0.01 9.8 0.1 (1 cos 0.1) 5 10 5 ( J )

E h 6.63 10

34

1.6 10

33

E
10 33
29
(J )

10
E
5 10 5

The discreteness in the energy is not so valid.