What can you say about the energy spread of the radiation emitted by an atomic gas?
The energy spread of the radiation emitted by an atomic gas is related to the quantized energy levels of the atoms in the gas.
To understand this, we need to know about the concept of energy levels in atoms. In an atom, electrons occupy specific energy levels around the nucleus. These energy levels are discrete and quantized, meaning that they can only have certain specific values. When an electron transitions from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, it releases energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation.
In the case of an atomic gas, the emitted radiation comes from the transitions between different energy levels of the atoms in the gas. Since each atom can have different energy levels and transition pathways, the resulting emitted radiation can have a spread of energies.
The energy spread is usually called the spectral linewidth or line width. It represents the range of frequencies or energies present in the emitted radiation. The spectral linewidth of the radiation emitted by an atomic gas can be influenced by various factors, including the physical conditions of the gas, such as temperature and pressure.
To measure or analyze the energy spread of the radiation emitted by an atomic gas, various spectroscopic techniques are used. These techniques involve measuring the intensity or frequency distribution of the emitted radiation and analyzing the resulting spectrum.
In summary, the energy spread of the radiation emitted by an atomic gas is influenced by the quantized energy levels of the atoms in the gas, and can be measured using spectroscopic techniques.