Why is it called the ultraviolet catastrophe?

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The term "ultraviolet catastrophe" refers to the failure of classical physics, specifically the Rayleigh-Jeans Law, to accurately predict the radiation emitted by black bodies at high frequencies, which peak in the ultraviolet range. This phenomenon contrasts with the predictions of Planck's Law, which resolves the issue by showing that energy quantization limits radiation at higher frequencies. The discussion highlights that earlier physicists, like Ehrenfest, focused on the visible spectrum, while terms like X-rays and gamma rays were not yet established. The name emphasizes the significant discrepancy in predictions for ultraviolet radiation, rather than other parts of the spectrum. Understanding this terminology is crucial for grasping the historical context of quantum theory development.
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Why is it called the ultraviolet catastrophe rather than the visible catastrophe or the microwave catastrophe?
 
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genefalk said:
Why is it called the ultraviolet catastrophe rather than the visible catastrophe or the microwave catastrophe?
A simple internet search tells me that the measured curve as predicted by Plank's Law peaks in the ultraviolet rather than going on to infinity as predicted by the classical Rayleigh-Jeans Law and I'd guess that's why it's called the "Ultraviolet Catastrophy". You would likely find it helpful to learn how to do simple research.
 
Thank you for your kind words.
 
This is easy. Ehrenfest had only one option, really. X rays and Gamma rays were unknown terminology to him and he really cared about the limits of the visible spectrum. Pringsheim did measurements there.
 

Thread 'Two equivalent statements of time reversal symmetric Hamiltonian'

Time reversal invariant Hamiltonians must satisfy ##[H,\Theta]=0## where ##\Theta## is time reversal operator. However, in some texts (for example see Many-body Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter Physics an introduction, HENRIK BRUUS and KARSTEN FLENSBERG, Corrected version: 14 January 2016, section 7.1.4) the time reversal invariant condition is introduced as ##H=H^*##. How these two conditions are identical?
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