Blackbody Radiation Research Articles

Quantum gravity phenomenology and the blackbody radiation

Abstract We analyze the blackbody radiation problem in the presence of quantum gravity effects encoded in modified dispersion relations. The spectral radiance and the generalized Stefan-Boltzmann law are studied in this context. Furthermore, the regime of low temperatures is also contemplated, where features related to the blackbody thermal laws and the thermodynamic quantities such as energy, pressure, entropy, and specific heat are obtained. Possible implications in compact objects such as neutron stars are also discussed.

Gauss-Bonnet AdS planar and spherical black hole thermodynamics and holography

Abstract In this work, we extend the study in \cite{Bilic:2022psx} incorporating the AdS/CFT duality to establish a relationship between the local temperatures (Tolman temperatures) of a large (AdS) spherical and a (AdS) planar Schwarzschild black hole near the AdS boundary considering Gauss-Bonnet curvature correction in the gravitational action. We have shown that the higher curvature corrections appear in the local temperature relationship due to the inclusion of Gauss-Bonnet term in the bulk. By transforming the metric into Fefferman-Graham form, we have calculated the energy density of the conformal fluid at the boundary. The obtained result contains finite coupling corrections which are holographically induced by the Gauss-Bonnet curvature correction in the bulk theory. Following the well known approach of fluid/gravity duality, the energy density of the conformal fluid at the boundary is then compared with the black body radiation energy density. This comparison shows that the energy density is proportional to the temperature of the conformal fluid. The temperature of the conformal fluid is then shown to be related to the Tolman temperature of the black hole which then eventually helps us to establish both the Hawking temperature and Tolman temperature relationship between large spherically symmetric and planar Schwarzschild black holes in Gauss-Bonnet gravity near the AdS boundary.

Einstein–Perrin dilemma on the Brownian motion (Avogadro’s number) resolved?

The general recognition of the existence of atoms and molecules occurred only at the beginning of the twentieth century. Many researchers contributed to this, but the ultimate proof of the molecular nature of matter that convinced even the last sceptics was the confirmation of Albert Einstein’s statistical-fluctuation theory of Brownian motion, a part of his comprehension of interdisciplinary atomism, by Jean Perrin’s experiments on colloidal gamboge particles. Einstein noticed a difference between the values of Avogadro’s constant derived from Perrin’s experiments and Planck’s calculation from black-body radiation. Einstein assumed the incorrectly evaluated size of the gamboge spherules to be a culprit of the difference and asked Perrin to check the assumption with additional experiments and using the viscosity formula introduced in his own dissertation. The result was a discrepancy that neither Einstein nor Perrin settled any further. In this communication, based on the survey of developments in colloid and polymer science and their comparison with relevant experiments, an explanation of the dilemma is given that now, after more than a century, proves Einstein correct. The comparison was de facto possible during his lifetime.

Evaluation of soot emission and wall heat loss for the fuels with high aromatic contents using the coupled analysis of chemical luminescence images with heat flux

The stricter regulations on the sulfur content of marine fuel oil in the general sea area that came into effect in January 2020 have led to a prediction of the increase of light cycle oil with high aromatic contents. The higher aromatic content is expected to result in higher soot in the exhaust gas. During combustion, soot emits radiant heat because of blackbody radiation, some of which passes through the walls of the combustion chamber and is released outside. Therefore, the exhaust emission characteristics and wall heat loss are affected if soot formation during combustion differs depending on the aromatic content of the fuel oil. This study developed an analytical method that combines the temporal and spatial distributions of C2 and OH radicals (these species contribute to soot formation and oxidation) to evaluate the emission and wall heat loss characteristics of different aromatics in fuel oils via combustion and heat flux analysis. The method was applied to test fuels containing different aromatic contents. Two test fuels containing 60 vol% each of toluene (monocyclic) and 1-methylnaphthalene (bicyclic) were evaluated in a rapid compression machine with a 100 mm wall-to-wall distance combustion chamber. The results suggested that the differences in soot emissions were observed because of differences in aromatics, and no differences in the wall heat flux were observed. The distributions of C2 and OH radical luminescence intensities between the walls were examined, and the differences in soot production were attributed to differences in the C2 radical production upstream of the flame in the region of low air entrainment. The lack of difference in the heat flux between the test fuels can be attributed to the the differences in the C2 and OH luminescence intensities, which are related to the heat release rate and heat flux, being almost nonexistent near the walls.

Black-body radiation in an accelerated frame

We derive Planck’s radiation law in a uniformly accelerated frame expressed in Rindler coordinates. The black-body spectrum is time-dependent in its temperature and Planckian at each instantaneous time, but it is scaled by an emissivity factor that depends on the Rindler spatial coordinate and the acceleration magnitude. An observer in an accelerated frame will perceive the black-body as black, hyperblack, or grey, depending on their position relative to the source (moving away or toward it), the acceleration magnitude, and whether they are accelerating or decelerating. For an observer accelerating away from the source, there exists a threshold on the acceleration magnitude beyond which they no longer receive radiation from the black-body. Since the frequency and the number of modes in Planck’s law evolve over time, the spectrum is continuously red- or blue-shifted towards lower or higher frequencies as time progresses, and the radiation modes (photons) may be created or annihilated, depending on the observer’s position and their acceleration or deceleration relative to the source of radiation.

Theoretical study of the strong piezo-phototronic effect in 2D monochalcogenides for multi-junction solar cells

The piezophototronic effect is a new scientific area that investigates the synergistic interactions of piezoelectric, semiconductor, and photoexcitation features. This effect is seen in crystals lacking inversion symmetry, where applied strain alters electronic transport and provides a way to modify material properties. Monolayer 2D semiconductors, such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and group IV monochalcogenides, have higher piezoelectric coefficients than conventional piezoelectric materials. This study proposes the development of a stable, high-performance multijunction solar cell (MJSC) leveraging the piezo-phototronic effect. The emphasis is on single-type 5-layer 2D monochalcogenides (SnS, SnSe, GeS, and GeSe) with the assistance of strain engineering. Surprisingly, the ultrathin parallel-connected solar cell achieves an electric power conversion efficiency of over 31% when tested under blackbody radiation, surpassing the recognized Shockley–Queisser (S-Q) limit. The piezophototronic effect improves solar cell performance while also addressing voltage mismatch issues. This work introduces a novel approach to developing and manufacturing high-efficiency and robust monolayer multijunction photovoltaic solar cells (MJPSC) based on 2D monochalcogenides.

Fostering prospective teacher-students to contextualize blackbody radiation in astrophysics

Abstract In astrophysical concepts, a star can be treated as a blackbody. However, teaching blackbody radiation in physics classrooms is not often relevant to astrophysical contexts. Therefore, prospective teacher-students need to have experiences contextualizing blackbody radiation in astrophysics. This study aimed to investigate how the inquiry lesson activities for teaching blackbody radiation in an astrophysics context, including the design of a simple experimental setup and the worksheets. The experimental setup was designed using affordable equipment like a tungsten bulb, a basic meter, a small piece of compact disk, and a smartphone application called lux meter. By manipulating the voltage across the tungsten filament and measuring the current and intensity using a lux meter, students can calculate its temperature, analyze the spectrum through PHET simulation, and construct a graph of wavelength vs intensity. The method of this study combines a qualitative analysis to describe the resulted spectral by the apparatus, lesson design, and description of the implementation. In addition, quantitative analysis using a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was conducted with prospective teacher-student participants who had taken the astronomy course and are still taking the modern physics course. The results show that inquiry lesson using simple apparatus model and materials positively fosters prospective teacher-students understanding of how to contextualize the blackbody radiation concept in astrophysics.

Thermal effects and deformation mechanisms in abrasive waterjet machining: insights from Ti-6Al-4V alloy for broader applications

As a novel cold machining method, abrasive waterjet machining (AWJM) has significant potential for processing titanium-based materials such as Ti-6Al-4V alloy. However, the thermal effects and material deformation mechanisms of AWJM remain challenging to explain. This study introduces a six-colour blackbody radiation pyrometry method that successfully monitors transient high temperatures during AWJM. The results revealed that temperatures during AWJM were not negligible, reaching up to 3602.08K, leading to material solidification and oxidation. The flash temperature exhibited transient and continuously oscillating characteristics at the microsecond scale. The combined mechanical and thermal loads created three distinct regions: the jet impact zone (elongated grains, oxide-based compositions, and material melting), the heat-affected zone (larger grains), and the base material zone. In the jet impact zone, a pronounced temperature gradient formed on the surface, promoting grain refinement. However, as the distance from the impact zone increases, the extent of grain refinement diminishes, leading to larger grain sizes. The higher kernel average misorientation values observed in and near the impact zone indicated that high-temperature conditions were insufficient for complete recrystallisation, either because of inadequate diffusion or the short duration of the elevated temperatures. This study reveals the thermal and material deformation mechanisms involved in the AWJM process. This establishes a foundational understanding of the processing of titanium-based and other heat-sensitive materials, ultimately contributing to enhanced overall material performance.

Impacting factors and operation thresholds of electron transpiration cooling-based thermal protection system

Electron transpiration cooling (ETC) is a spontaneous endothermic process that occurs during thermionic emission, which shows great potential in ultra-high-temperature thermal protection systems (TPS). Herein, we systematically analyze the main influencing factors on the cooling effect of ETC, such as incoming flow velocity, geometry, and material work function. A two-dimensional finite element model, based on Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the 11-species air reaction model and two-temperature model, is developed to solve the thermal interaction between ETC and the non-equilibrium flow field. Three operational thresholds for ETC are identified. Lower work functions enhance electron emission, thereby reducing wall temperature. With a 2.0 eV work function, ETC significantly outperforms blackbody radiation at 1360 K, and its cooling efficiency increases with temperature. For flow velocities above Mach 9.0, ETC is effective at the leading edge with a 2.4 eV work function and a 5 mm radius. However, it loses effectiveness with a 300 mm leading edge radius, even at Mach 16.0. Notably, at Mach 19.6, with a 2.0 eV work function and a 5 mm radius, ETC reduces surface temperature by up to 48.1 %. These findings highlight the considerable potential of ETC for applications in ultra-high-temperature TPS. These findings highlight the considerable potential of ETC for applications in ultra-high-temperature TPS.

Quadrupole Coupling of Circular Rydberg Qubits to Inner Shell Excitations.

Divalent atoms provide excellent means for advancing control in Rydberg atom-based quantum simulation and computing due to the second optically active valence electron available. Particularly promising in this context are circular Rydberg atoms, for which long-lived ionic core excitations can be exploited without suffering from detrimental autoionization. Here, we report the implementation of electric quadrupole coupling between the metastable 4D_{3/2} level and a very high-n (n=79) circular Rydberg qubit, realized in doubly excited ^{88}Sr atoms prepared from an optical tweezer array. We measure the kHz-scale differential level shift on the circular Rydberg qubit via beat-node Ramsey interferometry comprising spin echo. Observing this coupling requires coherent interrogation of the Rydberg states for more than 100 μs, which is assisted by tweezer trapping and circular state lifetime enhancement in a black-body radiation suppressing capacitor. Further, we find no noticeable loss of qubit coherence under continuous photon scattering on the ion core, paving the way for laser cooling and imaging of Rydberg atoms. Our results demonstrate access to weak electron-electron interactions in Rydberg atoms and expand the quantum simulation toolbox for optical control of highly excited circular state qubits via ionic core manipulation.

Shock equation of state experiments in MgO up to 1.5 TPa and the effects of optical depth on temperature determination

Laser-driven shock compression enables an experimental study of phase transitions at unprecedented pressures and temperatures. One example is the shock Hugoniot of magnesium oxide (MgO), which crosses the B1–B2-liquid triple point at 400–600 GPa, 10 000–13 000 K (0.86–1.12 eV). MgO is a major component within the mantles of terrestrial planets and has long been a focus of high-pressure research. Here, we combine time-resolved velocimetry and pyrometry measurements with a decaying shock platform to obtain pressure–temperature data on MgO from 300 to 1500 GPa and 9000 to 50 000 K. Pressure–temperature–density Hugoniot data are reported at 1500 GPa. These data represent the near-instantaneous response of an MgO [100] single crystal to shock compression. We report on a prominent temperature anomaly between 400 and 460 GPa, in general agreement with previous shock studies, and draw comparison with equation-of-state models. We provide a detailed analysis of the decaying shock compression platform, including a treatment of a pressure-dependent optical depth near the shock front. We show that if the optical depth of the shocked material is larger than 1 μm, treating the shock front as an optically thick gray body will lead to a noticeable overestimation of the shock temperature.

Effect of optical stimulation temperature on the TA-OSL background and signal

The impact of readout temperature on background during optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measurement is reported in this study. The background signal on un-irradiated phosphors has been found to increase significantly with readout temperature for the samples studied in this work, Al2O3:C and CaSO4:Dy. This increase in background signal with rising stimulation temperature on un-irradiated phosphors may overlap with the thermally assisted OSL (TA-OSL) signal. This phenomenon was observed only in the case of phosphors and not with bare stainless steel (SS) discs/planchets, and hence, this background emission should not be confused with blackbody radiation. Moreover, the reported background emission was seen to be much larger than the blackbody radiation. Although the TA-OSL signal does increase with temperature, it does not increase proportionally to the background signal. Therefore, to determine the net increase in TA-OSL due to the rise in readout temperature, the increase in background signal should be taken into consideration.

Generalized Einstein relations between absorption and emission spectra at thermodynamic equilibrium

We present Einstein coefficient spectra and a detailed-balance derivation of generalized Einstein relations between them that is based on the connection between spontaneous and stimulated emission. If two broadened levels or bands overlap in energy, transitions between them need not be purely absorptive or emissive. Consequently, spontaneous emission can occur in both transition directions, and four Einstein coefficient spectra replace the three Einstein coefficients for a line. At equilibrium, the four different spectra obey five pairwise relationships and one lineshape generates all four. These relationships are independent of molecular quantum statistics and predict the Stokes' shift between forward and reverse transitions required by equilibrium with blackbody radiation. For Boltzmann statistics, the relative strengths of forward and reverse transitions depend on the formal chemical potential difference between the initial and final bands, which becomes the standard chemical potential difference for ideal solutes. The formal chemical potential of a band replaces both the energy and degeneracy of a quantum level. Like the energies of quantum levels, the formal chemical potentials of bands obey the Rydberg-Ritz combination principle. Each stimulated Einstein coefficient spectrum gives a frequency-dependent transition cross-section. Transition cross-sections obey causality and a detailed-balance condition with spontaneous emission, but do not directly obey generalized Einstein relations. Even with an energetic width much less than the photon energy, a predominantly absorptive forward transition with an energetic width much greater than the thermal energy can have such an extreme Stokes' shift that its reverse transition cross-section becomes predominantly absorptive rather than emissive.

Galactic Stellar Black Hole Binaries: Spin Effects on Jet Emissions of High-Energy Gamma-Rays

In the last few decades, galactic stellar black hole X-ray binary systems (BHXRBs) have aroused intense observational and theoretical research efforts specifically focusing on their multi-messenger emissions (radio waves, X-rays, γ-rays, neutrinos, etc.). In this work, we investigate jet emissions of high-energy neutrinos and gamma-rays created through several hadronic and leptonic processes taking place within the jets. We pay special attention to the effect of the black hole’s spin (Kerr black holes) on the differential fluxes of photons originating from synchrotron emission and inverse Compton scattering and specifically on their absorption due to the accretion disk’s black-body radiation. The black hole’s spin (dimensionless spin parameter a*) enters into the calculations through the radius of the innermost circular orbit around the black hole, the RISCO parameter, assumed to be the inner radius of the accretion disk, which determines its optical depth τdisk. In our results, the differential photon fluxes after the absorption effect are depicted as a function of the photon energy in the range 1GeV ≤E≤103GeV. It is worth noting that when the black holes’ spin (α*) increases, the differential photon flux becomes significantly lower.

Radiation model and thermal characteristics of OLED glass substrate using electric heating tube

Glass substrate (GS) heating is a fundamental but significant technology for organic light emitting diode (OLED), which is critical to OLED displaying quality and efficiency. A rapid and reliable theoretical model is intensely demanded to guide practical system design, simulation analysis and experimental research for GS heating, but present radiative models are improper or inconvenient. Therefore, this paper establishes a new and direct calculation model with the addition of correctional coefficient 0.5 to blackbody radiation power of electric heating tube (EHT) and the proposal of comprehensive angle coefficient X, which can solve single and multi-source radiation problems theoretically. The simulation and experiment are both conducted for comparison analysis. The temperature errors of theory and simulation for multi EHTs are all within 1 % when compared with experimental results, which well validates the reliability and accuracy of theoretical and simulation models. Large EHT radius r, small distance L between EHT and GS, and suitable EHT number n are suggested, which benefits to the improvement of radiation heating and temperature uniformity of GS. It is hoped that this study can provide a useful tool on thermal radiation analysis and also a valuable promotion for practical OLED heating technology.

Experimental Study of Near-field Radiative Heat Transfer Between Large-Area Polar Dielectric Films

Utilizing polar dielectric films can improve the performance of near-field thermophotovoltaic system. To confirm the enhancement of near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) achieved by large-area polar dielectric films, we built an experimental setup and observe NFRHT between two 250 nm-thick SiO2 films on intrinsic Si substrate with an area 5 × 5 mm2. The two films are supported by SiO2 nano-spacers with a height of 302 nm. Temperature difference between the two films varies from 13 K to 42 K at room temperature. The observed near-field radiative heat flux closely matches the theoretical values, which surpasses substrate-only system by up to 9.87 times and could reach up to 7.45 times that of blackbody radiation due to excitation of the surface photon polaritons modes. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of polar dielectric films in enhancing NFRHT.

Generalized N-Dimensional Effective Temperature for Cryogenic Systems in Accelerator Physics

Investigations into the properties of generalized effective temperature are conducted across arbitrary dimensions. Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution is displayed for one, two, and three dimensions, with effective temperatures expressed for each dimension. The energy density of blackbody radiation is examined as a function of dimensionality. Effective temperatures for non-uniform temperature distributions in one, two, three, and higher dimensions are presented, with generalizations extended to arbitrary dimensions. Furthermore, the application of generalized effective temperature is explored not only for linearly non-uniform temperature distributions but also for scenarios involving the volume fraction of two distinct temperature distributions. The effective temperature is determined for a cryogenic system supplied with both liquid nitrogen and liquid helium. This effective temperature is applied to the Coefficient of Performance (COP) in cryogenic systems and can also be applied to high-energy accelerator physics, including high-dimensional physics.

Transient Shutdown Cooling Simulation of a Gas Turbine Test Rig Configuration Under Ventilated Natural Convection

Abstract A transient simulation of shutdown cooling for a gas turbine test rig configuration under ventilated natural convection has been successfully demonstrated using a coupled aero-thermal approach. Large eddy simulation (LES) and finite element analysis (FEA) were employed for fluid domain computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and solid component thermal conduction simulation, respectively. Coupling between LES and FEA was achieved through a plugin communicator. The buoyancy-induced chimney effect under the axially ventilated natural convection is correctly reproduced. The hotter turbulent flow in the upper part of the annular path and the colder laminar-type air movement in the lower part of the annulus are appropriately captured. The heat transfer features in the annular passage are also faithfully replicated, with heat flux of the inner cylinder reaching its maximum and minimum at the bottom dead centre (BDC) and the top dead centre (TDC), respectively. Agreement with experimental measurements is good in terms of both temperature and heat flux, and the result of the transient simulation for the shutdown cooling is encouraging too. In addition, radiation is simulated in the FEA model based on the usual grey body assumptions and Lambert?s law for the coupled computation. It has been shown that at the high power (HP) condition, the radiation for the inner cylinder is approximately 11% of its convective heat flux counterpart. The importance of radiation is thus clearly revealed even for the present rig test case with a scaled-down temperature setup.

Nonlinear wave propagation in large extra spatial dimensions and the blackbody thermal laws

Abstract Nonlinear wave propagation in large extra spatial dimensions (on and above d = 2) is investigated in the context of nonlinear electrodynamics theories that depend exclusively on the invariant F ( = − ( 1 / 4 ) F μ ν F μ ν ) . In this vein, we consider propagating waves under the influence of external uniform electric and magnetic fields. Features related to the blackbody radiation in the presence of a background constant electric field such as the generalization of the spectral energy density distribution and the Stefan–Boltzmann law are obtained. Interestingly enough, anisotropic contributions to the frequency spectrum appear in connection to the nonlinearity of the electromagnetic field. In addition, the long wavelength regime and Wien’s displacement law in this situation are studied. The corresponding thermodynamics quantities at thermal equilibrium, such as energy, pressure, entropy, and heat capacity densities are contemplated as well.

Research on the influence of different pyramid array structures on plane blackbody emissivity

The plane blackbody radiation source is pivotal to the infrared remote sensing detection system, with emissivity serving as a critical metric for its performance evaluation. This metric is predominantly influenced by the surface structure and coating properties. To improve emissivity, existing works have utilized pyramid structures to expand the contact area between the radiation surface and light, thereby augmenting light absorption. Nonetheless, there is relatively little research exploring the impact of pyramid structure on emissivity, leading to a scarcity of related emissivity data for plane blackbody. In this paper, we explored the impact on the blackbody emissivity induced by different pyramid structures, including the triangular pyramid array (TPA), the quadrangular pyramid array (QPA), the pentagonal pyramid array (PPA), and the hexagonal pyramid array (HPA). Also, the effects involving coating properties, the base-height ratio of the pyramid, and reflection characteristics on emissivity were investigated based on the Monte Carlo Method. Then, the specimens with diffuse reflection (DR) and near-specular reflection (NSR) were fabricated and tested experimentally. The uncertainties of simulation and experiment were maintained below 0.21 % and 0.50 %, respectively. Experimental results are well aligned with the corresponding simulation results, indicating that the normal emissivity of the TPA blackbody is 0.12 % higher than the QPA blackbody, and the directional emissivity uniform of the TPA blackbody is superior to that of the QPA blackbody for the DR model in the 8–14 μm waveband. Furthermore, the temperature field distributions of radiation surface for TPA and QPA blackbody were analysed, noting a maximum temperature difference of 50 mK and 30 mK, respectively. This paper provides experimental support and design references for further improving the emissivity of plane blackbodies.