"Blackbody radiation" or "cavity radiation" refers to an object or system which absorbs all radiation incident up

by standing wave or resonant modes of the cavity which is radiating.

The amount of radiation emitted in a given frequency range should be proportional to the number of modes in th

But the predicted continual increase in radiated energy with frequency (dubbed the "ultraviolet catastrophe") di

HyperPhysics***** Quantum Physics R Nave

Cavity Modes
Index
A mode for an electromagnetic wave in a cavity must satisfy the condition of zero electric
field at the wall. If the mode is of shorter wavelength, there are more ways you can fit it into Blackbody
the cavity to meet that condition. Careful analysis by Rayleigh and Jeans showed that the radiation
number of modes was proportional to the frequency squared. concepts

Evaluation of the number of modes

Go Back
HyperPhysics***** Quantum Physics R Nave

Planck Radiation Formula

From the assumption that the electromagnetic modes in a cavity were quantized in energy
with the quantum energy equal to Planck's constant times the frequency, Planck derived a
radiation formula. The average energy per "mode" or "quantum" is the energy of the
quantum times the probability that it will be occupied (the Einstein-Bose distribution
function):

This average energy times the density of such states, expressed in terms of either frequency
or wavelength

Index

gives the energy density, the Planck radiation formula. Blackbody

radiation
concepts
Example

Example

The Planck radiation formula is an example of the distribution of energy according to Bose-
Einstein statistics. The above expressions are obtained by multiplying the density of statesin
terms of frequency or wavelength times the photon energy times the Bose-Einstein
distribution function with normalization constant A=1.

To find the radiated power per unit area from a surface at this temperature, multiply the
energy density by c/4. The density above is for thermal equilibrium, so setting
inward=outward gives a factor of 1/2 for the radiated power outward. Then one must
average over all angles, which gives another factor of 1/2 for the angular dependence which
is the square of the cosine.
 Major applications of the Planck formula

Go Back
HyperPhysics***** Quantum Physics R Nave

Rayleigh-Jeans vs Planck
Comparison of the classical Rayleigh-Jeans Law and the quantum Planck radiation formula.
Experiment confirms the Planck relationship. Index

Blackbody
radiation
concepts
Comments on the development of the Rayleigh-Jeans Law

Why does the Planck curve drop Frequency Show that the two agree for
below the Rayleigh-Jeans? plot long wavelengths

Go Back
HyperPhysics***** Quantum Physics R Nave

Bl
The Rayleigh-Jeans curve agrees with the Planck radiation formula for long wavelengths

Show

HyperPhysics***** Quantum Physics R Nave

 Comme
The Rayleigh-Jeans Law was an important step in our understanding of the equilibrium radiation from a hot obj
radiation formula. In outline form, here are the steps which led to the Rayleigh-Jeans law.
Equilibrium standing wave electromagnetic radiation in a cubical cavity of dimension L must meet the conditio

The number of modes in the cavity is:

The number of modes per unit wavelength is:

The energy per unit volume per unit wavelength is:

The average radiated energy per unit wavelength is:

Which when expressed in terms of frequency is:

HyperPhysics***** Quantum Physics R Nave