AY 101 Lecture 8: AY Lecture 8 2-2-18
Document Summary
Intro to spectroscopy, continuous, emission, and absorption spectra. The scientific study of dispersed light, or light displayed as intensity vs. wavelength. Two ways to disperse light: prism, diffraction grating, hundreds of equally-spaced grooves. Most objects emit electromagnetic radiation, but not just at a single wavelength. The light we see is a combination of many wavelengths. Continuous: smooth variation in intensity vs. wavelength, any hot, dense, solid, liquid, or gas emits this kind of spectrum, example: pure thermal radiation. Spectral emission and absorption lines play a major role in astronomy: Emission and absorption lines are tied to atomic structure. Each electron occupies an orbital position (energy level) These levels are quantized (only certain positions are allowed) (cid:862)(cid:395)ua(cid:374)tu(cid:373) leaps(cid:863) of ele(cid:272)t(cid:396)o(cid:374)s (cid:271)et(cid:449)ee(cid:374) le(cid:448)els lead to e(cid:373)issio(cid:374) a(cid:374)d a(cid:271)sorption. When an electron jumps from one energy level to another. Downward leaps: to smaller orbital positions lead to emission of a photon.
