dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaConnecting blackbody radiation and zero-point radiation within classical physics: A new minimum principle and a status review
| Authors | Timothy H. Boyer |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0206033 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0206033 |
Abstract
A new thermodynamic analysis is presented for the intimate connections between blackbody radiation and zero-point radiation within classical physics. First, using the thermodynamic behavior of an oscillator under an adiabatic change of frequency, we show that the thermodynamic functions can all be derived from a single function of w/T, analogous to Wien's displacement theorem. The high- and low-frequency limits allow asymptotic energy forms involving T alone or w alone, corresponding to energy equipartition and zero-point energy. It is then suggested that the actual thermodynamic behavior for a harmonic oscillator is given by the function satisfying the Wien displacement result which provides the smoothest possible interpolation between scale-decoupled energy equipartition at low frequency and scale-invariant zero-point energy at high frequency. This leads to the Planck spectrum. Second, we turn to radiation in a box with conducting walls and a conducting partition so that the discrete normal mode structure of the box becomes important. The contrasting Casimir energies are explored for the Rayleigh-Jeans and zero-point spectra. The Rayleigh-Jeans spectrum involves no change of energy with partition position, and the zero-point spectrum involves no change of entropy. It is suggested that the Planck spectrum with zero-point radiation satisfies a natural minimum principle which corresponds to greatest independence of the system energy from the position of the partition for a fixed temperature. Numerical calculation is used for confirmation. Third, we review the previous derivations of the Planck radiation spectrum in classical physics, all of which involve zero-point radiation.
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"abstract": "A new thermodynamic analysis is presented for the intimate connections\nbetween blackbody radiation and zero-point radiation within classical physics.\nFirst, using the thermodynamic behavior of an oscillator under an adiabatic\nchange of frequency, we show that the thermodynamic functions can all be\nderived from a single function of w/T, analogous to Wien\u0027s displacement\ntheorem. The high- and low-frequency limits allow asymptotic energy forms\ninvolving T alone or w alone, corresponding to energy equipartition and\nzero-point energy. It is then suggested that the actual thermodynamic behavior\nfor a harmonic oscillator is given by the function satisfying the Wien\ndisplacement result which provides the smoothest possible interpolation between\nscale-decoupled energy equipartition at low frequency and scale-invariant\nzero-point energy at high frequency. This leads to the Planck spectrum. Second,\nwe turn to radiation in a box with conducting walls and a conducting partition\nso that the discrete normal mode structure of the box becomes important. The\ncontrasting Casimir energies are explored for the Rayleigh-Jeans and zero-point\nspectra. The Rayleigh-Jeans spectrum involves no change of energy with\npartition position, and the zero-point spectrum involves no change of entropy.\nIt is suggested that the Planck spectrum with zero-point radiation satisfies a\nnatural minimum principle which corresponds to greatest independence of the\nsystem energy from the position of the partition for a fixed temperature.\nNumerical calculation is used for confirmation. Third, we review the previous\nderivations of the Planck radiation spectrum in classical physics, all of which\ninvolve zero-point radiation.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0206033",
"authors": [
"Timothy H. Boyer"
],
"categories": [
"physics.class-ph",
"physics.gen-ph"
],
"title": "Connecting blackbody radiation and zero-point radiation within classical physics: A new minimum principle and a status review",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0206033"
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