ERIC Number: EJ963895
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Nov
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0143-0807
EISSN: N/A
Illuminating the Blackbody
Lehoucq, Roland
European Journal of Physics, v32 n6 p1495-1514 Nov 2011
The blackbody is one of the first topics the students face at the beginning of their studies on modern physics. The usual framework supposes that a blackbody emits radiation in a 3D space in the form of massless bosons (photons). This paper investigates the blackbody radiation in a more general context in order to discuss the physical hypotheses underlying it. After exposing in a nutshell standard calculations about blackbody radiation, this paper investigates the influence of a non-zero photon mass and of the dimensionality of space on the blackbody radiation. It also discusses the possibility of a fermion-emitting blackbody. The aim of this paper is mainly pedagogical because experimental evidence points towards a massless photon propagating in a 3D space: exploring hypothetical worlds can help better understand our world. (Contains 2 tables and 6 figures.)
Descriptors: Space Sciences, Astronomy, Radiation, Science Instruction, Physics, Scientific Concepts, College Science, Teaching Methods, Energy, Equations (Mathematics)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A