Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🌈 Like blackbody radiation 🔬 Related to Planck units
Planckian

Planckian

1 9.9
Radiation that follows the pattern of light from a perfect hot object
  • adjective
  • /ˈplæŋkiən/
  • Specialized
: planckiano
  • The data showed a clear agreement with the Planckian spectrum of blackbody radiation.

Examples

  • Overall emissivity is then extrapolated based on an assumed Planckian distribution.

    Blog text (18)

  • A) The energy distribution is skewed or non-uniformly distorted from the Planckian distribution by non-radiative, or at least non-uniform, energy dissipation mechanisms.

    Blog text (18)

  • Scientists often refer to the Planckian distribution when discussing thermal emissions from stars.

  • In his research, he analyzed the properties of light to ensure they followed the Planckian law of radiation.

Surface Forms

Planckian positive

Morphology

Planckian = Planck (semi-transparent) = Planck + ian

Formed by the regular adjectival suffix '-ian' from the proper name 'Planck'; the morphological relation is clear but the meaning is specialized and requires knowledge of the scientist and technical context.

Etymology

Planckian comes from the name Planck, after the German physicist Max Planck who showed how a perfect hot object gives off light and heat in a regular way now called Planck's law. So, Planckian means 'following Planck's law' or showing the kind of spectrum that law predicts.