- #1
Alexander83
- 35
- 0
Hi there,
I'm trying to clear up some misconceptions I have about emission spectra from various substances. Most of the discussion about gases focusses on the line emission spectra from a hot, low density gas due to electron shell transitions. But I also know that any charges that are made to accelerate should also give off radiation.
In the simple case of a sample of a monatomic gas, the gas molecules constantly undergo atomic collisions and change directions and would therefore experience intermittent acceleration. Since the atoms themselves contain charges, shouldn't this acceleration cause the gas to give off radiation? If so what would the nature of this radiation be - does it have a formal name and would it have a continuum of frequencies? Is the reason that it is seldom dis
I'm trying to clear up some misconceptions I have about emission spectra from various substances. Most of the discussion about gases focusses on the line emission spectra from a hot, low density gas due to electron shell transitions. But I also know that any charges that are made to accelerate should also give off radiation.
In the simple case of a sample of a monatomic gas, the gas molecules constantly undergo atomic collisions and change directions and would therefore experience intermittent acceleration. Since the atoms themselves contain charges, shouldn't this acceleration cause the gas to give off radiation? If so what would the nature of this radiation be - does it have a formal name and would it have a continuum of frequencies? Is the reason that it is seldom dis