Ch

 39.  Bohr  model  

Laser  and  blackbody  radia7on  

Ph274  –  Modern  Physics  

3/4/2016  
Prof.  Pui  Lam  
 Learning  Outcomes  
(1) Explore  the  Bohr  model  of  hydrogen  in  more  
details.    Compare  its  energy  levels  with  known  
emission  spectra  
(2) Laser  –  qualita7ve  understanding  of  
spontaneous  emission,  s7mulated  emission,  
popula7on  inversion.  
(3) Black  body  radia7on  –  qualita7ve  understanding  
of  the  blackbody  radia7on  distribu7on  (Fig.  
39.32)  and  how  it  is  consistent  with  quantum  
theory.  
 Compare  emission  spectra  of  atomic  hydrogen  
with  the  Bohr  model  
Experimental  set  up:  Gas  discharge  tube  (shown  in  class  
before).  
(1)  H2  gas  is  put  into  a  seal  tube.  
(2)  A  voltage  is  applied  to  the  electrodes  at  both  ends  of  
the  tube  to  cause  a  current  flow.  
(3)  The  electrons  in  the  current  strike  the  molecular  
hydrogen,  dissociate  it  into  atomic  hydrogen  and  excite  
the  electron  in  the  atomic  hydrogen  to  all  higher  energy  
levels.  
(4)  The  electron  in  atomic  hydrogen  eventually  falls  back  
down  to  lower  energy  levels  and  contribute  to  the  
emission  lines.  
 
Figure 39.24

Calculate  the  range  of  emiWed  photon  energy  for  the  various  series.  
Do  they  overlap  in  energy?  
What  part  of  the  electromagne7c  spectrum  do  each  series  belong?  
 First  correc7on  to  the  Bohr  model  of  
hydrogen  
•  Experimental  emission  spectra  of  atomic  hydrogen  
agree  with  the  Bohr  model  to  0.1%  
•  First  correc7on  to  the  Bohr  model:    The  proton  
cannot  be  treated  as  infinite  mass.    One  needs  to  use  
the  “reduced  mass”  in  the  Bohr  equa7on  rather  then  
the  electron  mass.  
  me m p
mr = ! 0.99946me
me + m p
1 ⎛ mr e 4 ⎞
En = − 2 ⎜ 2 2 ⎟
n ⎝ 8ε o h ⎠
 Laser  
•  Important  terms  &  concepts  
•  Spontaneous  emission  
•  S7mulated  emission  
•  Resonant  cavity  
•  Popula7on  inversion  
Figure 39.28

Note:  Spontaneously  emiWed  

photon  are  random.  

Note:  Emission  is  “s7mulated  

by  passing  an  “external”    E&M  wave  
through    
the  excited  atoms.  
The  excited  atoms  will  emit  
Photon  in  the  same  direc7on  and  same  
phase.  
In  a  laser,  the  “external”  E&M  wave  ini7ally  
comes  from  selec7ng  one  of  the  
spontaneous  photons  using  a  resonant  
cavity.  S7mulated  emission  helps  build  up  
this  “external”  E&M  wave.  
Figure 39.29
 Blackbody  Radia7on  
•  A  “black  body”  absorbs  a  con7nuous  spectrum  
of  light  and  emits  a  con7nuous  spectrum  of  
light.    Its  emission  spectrum  depends  on  the  
its  temperature  (in  Kelvin).  
Figure 39.32

How  to  explain  this  

emission  in  terms  of  
quantum  theory?