ultraviolet catastrophe

English

Etymology

Coined by Paul Ehrenfest in 1911 in German. From the explosion of energy at the ultraviolet end of the spectrum (away from visible and infrared light) caused by the Rayleigh-Jeans Law theory. The use of UV is to represent that end of the spectrum, given that the visible spectrum represents a stand-in for the whole electromagnetic spectrum, and infrared and ultraviolet are stand-ins for the endpoints. This usage is similar to that represented by the logic behind the terms "redshift" and "blueshift", which assume endpoints of red and blue.

Noun

ultraviolet catastrophe

1. (physics) A fault in classical physics, from the Rayleigh's Law/Rayleigh-Jeans Law outcomes at short wavelengths/high frequencies, that causes infinite amplification of shorter wavelength/higher frequency radiation inside a cavity, due to the application of equipartition theorem on black body radiation within a cavity.

Usage notes

• This does not literally refer to the explosion of ultraviolet radiation, rather any radiation shorter than a specific limiting size of propagating radiation in a set sized cavity, dependent on the size of the cavity.

Synonyms

• Rayleigh-Jeans catastrophe
• Rayleigh catastrophe / Rayleigh's catastrophe

Coordinate terms

• black body / Kirchoff's black body
• black body radiation
• Kirchoff's challenge
• molecular theory (Wien's displacement law)
• equipartition theorem (Rayleigh-Jeans law)
• Rayleigh's Law (classical physics; 1900-1905) (suitable for low-frequency/long-wavelength radiation)
• Rayleigh-Jeans Law (classical physics; post-1905) (suitable for low-frequency/long-wavelength radiation)
• Wien's distribution law (classical physics) (suitable for high-frequency/short-wavelength radiation)
• Planck's Law (quantum physics) (a combination of Raleigh and Wien laws)

Related terms

• oxygen catastrophe
• vacuum catastrophe