What is the debye temperature?

[lavster]

can someone please tell me what the debye termperature is, in words. why is it important? and is it actually a temperature?

thanks

 

[kanato]

It gives a relative idea for a temperature scale above which vibrations within a solid behave basically according to the Dulong-Petit law and the heat capacity is 3Nk. Below the Debye temperature quantum effects are important and the heat capacity is reduced from the high temperature value.