Published March 2010 | Version v1
Journal article

Thermodynamics of radiation modes

  • 1. Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana - Iztapalapa, PO Box 55 534, Mexico, D F, 09340 (Mexico)

Description

We study the equilibrium thermodynamics of the electromagnetic radiation in a cavity of a given volume and temperature. We found three levels of description, the thermodynamics of one mode, the thermodynamics of the distribution of frequencies in a band by summing over the frequencies in it and the global thermodynamics by summing over all the frequencies. One equation relating frequency and volume is used to define the thermodynamics of one mode, and to explain the mystery of the frequency-dependent quantities having a similar behaviour to the non-frequency-dependent quantities for some thermodynamic equations and different behaviour for others. Besides, this frequency-volume relation is used to count the number of modes in a band of frequency.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0143-0807/31/2/017

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1088/0143-0807/31/2/017;
PII
S0143-0807(10)42184-4;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
European Journal of Physics
Journal Volume
31
Journal Issue
2
Journal Page Range
p. 393-400
ISSN
0143-0807
CODEN
EJPHD4

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
41047574
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
DISTRIBUTION; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; EQUATIONS; EQUILIBRIUM; FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE; THERMODYNAMICS
Descriptors DEC
RADIATIONS