fiziks

Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT‐JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics 
 
(c) Rayleigh and Jeans Theory of Black Body Radiation (Classical Theory)
Classical theory of Black Body Radiation is explained by different people but popularly
explained by first Rayleigh and Jeans theory then Wien’s distribution law.
Rayleigh and Jeans Theory of Black Body Radiation
Consider a cavity with metallic walls heated uniformly up to temperature T . The walls
emits electromagnetic radiation in the thermal range of frequencies.
Basic assumption and methodology
(1) Classical electromagnetic theory is used to show that radiation inside the cavity must
exist in the form of standing waves with nodes at the metallic surfaces.
(2) By using geometrical argument, a count is made of the number of such standing
waves dN   in the frequency interval  to   d

According to Rayleigh Jeans radiation waves in black body can be compared to the
standing waves in cubical cavity. Let the equation of standing wave is
 
   
y  A sin k .r cos t  A sin k x x  k y y  k z z cos t where k  k xiˆ  k y ˆj  k z kˆ is wave

vector.
n x n y n
For standing wave at the wall their must be only nodes so k x  , ky  , kz  z
a a a
Where nx  1, 2,3...., n y  1, 2,3...., and nz  1, 2,3....,

nx2  n 2y  nz2 k 2a2 nz

k 
2
k x2  k y2  k z2   nx2  n 2y  nz2  r   2a / c  v
 a
2 2
 2
12
2 2 dr   2a / c  dv
where k  
 c 8 ny
4
4a 2 2 
   
nx2  n 2y   nz2 which represents the equation of   
c2  
  
2a
sphere of radius with positive values of nx , n y and 4
c 8
nz lies in the one 8th part of this sphere, which is shown in 12
figure 1.
We know that one set of nx , n y and nz represent one mode of nx
Figure 1
vibration.

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 fiziks
Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT‐JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics 
 
This implies that the total number of mode N in frequency range 0 to 

1 4  2a  4 a3 3
3
N       
8 3  c  3c3
4 a 3 2 4 V 2
dN d  d put a 3
 V  dN d  d
c3 c3
We also account that two polarization state of vibration for electromagnetic wave per
4 Va 3 2 8 Va3 2
mode of vibrations. So dN d  2  d   dNd   d
c3 c3
In term of wavelength we can calculate number of modes in range  to   d  one will
get 8 V
Nd   d
4
(3) From using kinetic theory of gases each standing wave (Equivalent harmonic
oscillator) at equilibrium absolute temperature T contribute energy kT .
So the energy per unit Volume in the frequency interval  to   d of the black body
spectrum of cavity at absolute temperature T is just product of average energy per
standing wave times the number of standing waves in the frequency interval, is given by

8 2
   d  kT which is popularly known as Rayleigh-Jeans formula for black body
c3
radiation.
Rayleigh - Jeans
ρ(v)dv

Observed


Figure 2: Energy density versus frequency according to Rayleigh-Jeans

The equation does accurately describe the low frequency (high wavelength) spectrum of
thermal emission from objects, but it fails to accurately fit the experimental data for high
frequency (short wavelengths) emission.

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