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Lecture 9

The document discusses the production and properties of thermal radiation and how objects' spectra depend on their temperature. It introduces Wien's law and the Stefan-Boltzmann law which relate an object's temperature to the wavelength of peak emission and total luminosity. It also discusses how an object's spectrum can reveal its composition through emission and absorption lines.

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Lecture 9

The document discusses the production and properties of thermal radiation and how objects' spectra depend on their temperature. It introduces Wien's law and the Stefan-Boltzmann law which relate an object's temperature to the wavelength of peak emission and total luminosity. It also discusses how an object's spectrum can reveal its composition through emission and absorption lines.

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Anonymous BPFIMnCd
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Spectra
Thermal Radiation
Wiens Law
Stefan-Boltzmann Law
Kirchoffs Laws
Emission and Absorption
Spectra & Composition

Spectrum

Intensity

Originally, the range of colors obtained by


passing sunlight through a glass prism
Quantitatively, the Intensity of electromagnetic
radiation as a function of wavelength

Wavelength
Spectrum of an astrophysical object.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Production of light
Why do stars shine?

Theyre hot!
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Thermal Radiation
Nearly all large, dense objects emit thermal
radiation, including stars, planets, and you.
An objects thermal radiation spectrum depends
on only one property: its temperature.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Properties of Thermal Radiation


1. Hotter objects emit more light at all frequencies per
unit area.
2. Hotter objects emit photons with a higher average
energy.

Intensity

Spectrum:

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Wavelength

Wiens Law
pT = 2.9 x 106 nm K
p is the wavelength of maximum emission
(in nanometers nano = 10-9)
T is temperature (in degrees Kelvin)
As T increases, wavelength decreases.
So hot object blue; cool objects red.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

2 Examples:
Human body
T = 310 K

2.9 106 nm K
= 10, 000 nm
p =
310 K

We radiate in the infrared

The Sun
T = 5,800 K

2.9 106 nm K
= 500 nm
p =
5800 K

The sun radiates visible light


2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Properties of Thermal Radiation


1. Hotter objects emit photons with a higher average
energy.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Stefan-Boltzmann Law
2

L = 4R T

surface area
of a sphere

L = Luminosity (power radiated)


R = Radius (e.g., of a star)
T = Temperature (of radiating surface, in K)
= Stefan-Boltzmann constant
just a number to make units work right

L R2 T 4

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

The absolute brightness of a star depends


on its size (R) and temperature (T).

Properties of Thermal Radiation


1. Hotter objects emit more light at all frequencies per
unit area.
Total luminosity is the area under the curve

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Apparent & Absolute brightness


Apparent brightness
What we perceive & measure at the telescope

Absolute brightness
called Luminosity (L)
Physical power emitted by object
Energy radiated per unit time

L
apparent
b=
brightness
4d2
How bright we perceive a star to be
depends on both its intrinsic luminosity and its distance from us.
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Inverse square law


The intensity of light diminishes with the
inverse square of the distance from the source

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Inverse square law


Just a geometrical effect
Light from a point source (e.g., a light bulb or a
star) gets spread out in all directions.
diminishes by the surface are of the sphere is fills

apparent
brightness

L
b=
4d2

How bright we perceive a star to be


depends on both its intrinsic luminosity and its distance from us.
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Three basic types of spectra


Continuous Spectrum

Intensity

Emission Line Spectrum

Absorption Line Spectrum

Wavelength
Spectra of astrophysical objects are usually combinations of
these three basic types.
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Continuous Spectrum

The spectrum of a common (incandescent) light


bulb spans all visible wavelengths, without
interruption.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Kirchoffs Laws
Hot, dense objects emit a
continuous spectrum

e.g., a light bulb


light of all colors & wavelengths
follows thermal distribution
obeys Wiens & Steffan-Boltzmann Laws.

Hot, diffuse gas emits light only at specific


wavelengths.
emission line spectrum

e.g., a neon light

A cool gas obscuring a continuum source


will absorb specific wavelengths
absorption line spectrum
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

e.g., a star

Emission Line Spectrum

A thin or low-density cloud of gas emits light only at


specific wavelengths that depend on its composition and
temperature, producing a spectrum with bright emission
lines.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Kirchoffs Laws
Hot, dense objects emit a
continuous spectrum

e.g., a light bulb


light of all colors & wavelengths
follows thermal distribution
obeys Wiens & Steffan-Boltzmann Laws.

Hot, diffuse gas emits light only at specific


wavelengths.
emission line spectrum

e.g., a neon light

A cool gas obscuring a continuum source


will absorb specific wavelengths
absorption line spectrum
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

e.g., a star

Absorption Line Spectrum

A cloud of gas between us and a light bulb can absorb light


of specific wavelengths, leaving dark absorption lines in
the spectrum.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Kirchoffs Laws
Hot, dense objects emit a
continuous spectrum

e.g., a light bulb


light of all colors & wavelengths
follows thermal distribution
obeys Wiens & Steffan-Boltzmann Laws.

Hot, diffuse gas emits light only at specific


wavelengths.
emission line spectrum

e.g., a neon light

A cool gas obscuring a continuum source


will absorb specific wavelengths
absorption line spectrum
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

e.g., a star

How does light tell us what


things are made of?

Spectrum of the Sun


2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Atomic Terminology
Atomic Number = # of protons in nucleus
Atomic Mass Number = # of protons + neutrons

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Atomic Terminology
Isotope: same # of protons but different # of
neutrons (4He, 3He)

Molecules: consist of two or more atoms (H2O, CO2)


2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Chemical Fingerprints
Each type of atom
has a unique set of
energy levels.
Each transition
corresponds to a
unique photon
energy, frequency,
and wavelength.
Energy levels of hydrogen

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Possible Electron orbits

Energy levels of hydrogen


2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transitions between orbits


release energy (photons)

Energy levels of hydrogen

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Chemical Fingerprints
Downward
transitions produce
a unique pattern of
emission lines.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Chemical Fingerprints

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Atoms can absorb


photons with those
same energies, so
upward transitions
produce absorption
lines.

Chemical Fingerprints

Each type of atom has a unique spectral fingerprint.

05_Compmysterygas
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Chemical Fingerprints

Observing the fingerprints in a spectrum tells us


which kinds of atoms are present.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Example: Solar Spectrum

All the dark regions are absorption lines due to all the elements
in the suns atmosphere. The strengths of the lines tell us about the
suns composition and other physical properties.
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Solar composition
73% Hydrogen
25% Helium
2% everything else
metals

Other stars similar


H & He most common stuff in the universe
Helium was discovered in the spectrum of the sun

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Interpreting an Actual Spectrum

By carefully studying the features in a


spectrum, we can learn a great deal about
the object that created it.

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

What is this object?

Reflected Sunlight:
Continuous spectrum of
visible light is like the
Suns except that some of
the blue light has been
absorbedobject must
look red
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

What is this object?

Thermal Radiation:
Infrared spectrum peaks
at a wavelength
corresponding to a
temperature of 225 K

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

What is this object?

Carbon Dioxide: these


Absorption lines are the
fingerprint of CO2

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

What is this object?

Ultraviolet Emission Lines:


Indicate a hot emitting gas

2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

What is this object? Mars!

Hot upper atmosphere

Carbon Dioxide in atmosphere

Reflected Sunlight:
Mars is red

Infrared peak
wavelength tells us
T = 225 K

We can learn an enormous amount from spectra:


temperature, density, and composition
2007 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

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