Abstract
The rate constants for thermal emission of atoms, molecules, electrons and photons are derived, based on detailed balance. The formalism provides both the total rate constants and the distributions of the kinetic energies in the decay channel. These are generally found to depend on ratios of level densities and the cross section for the reverse process. The photon emission rate constant is special be cause of the effects of stimulated emission. The temperature dependence of the photon emission rate constant is calculated with a cross section based on the surface plasmon. The experimentally important kinetic energy release distributions are calculated for several spherical potentials.
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Notes
- 1.
Einstein’s expression for unnecessary use of formulae. Wordplay on ‘Hexerei’, whitchcraft.
- 2.
Also for carbon which is metallic in the sense of astronomers: Anything but hydrogen and helium.
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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Hansen, K. (2013). Rate Constants for Emission of Atoms, Electrons and Photons. In: Statistical Physics of Nanoparticles in the Gas Phase. Springer Series on Atomic, Optical, and Plasma Physics, vol 73. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5839-1_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5839-1_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-5838-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-5839-1
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