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Lyman-alpha, typically denoted by Ly-α, is a spectral line of hydrogen (or, more generally, of any one-electron atom) in the Lyman series. It is emitted when the atomic electron transitions from an n = 2 orbital to the ground state ( n = 1), where n is the principal quantum number .
The transitions are named sequentially by Greek letters: from n = 2 to n = 1 is called Lyman-alpha, 3 to 1 is Lyman-beta, 4 to 1 is Lyman-gamma, and so on. The series is named after its discoverer, Theodore Lyman. The greater the difference in the principal quantum numbers, the higher the energy of the electromagnetic emission.
In the case of neutral atomic hydrogen, the minimum ionization energy is equal to the Lyman limit, where the photon has enough energy to completely ionize the atom, resulting in a free proton and a free electron. Above this energy (below this wavelength), all wavelengths of light may be absorbed. This forms a continuum in the energy spectrum ...
where z is the redshift, is the observed wavelength, and 1215.67 Å is the wavelength of Lyman-alpha emission. The Lyman-alpha line in most LAEs is thought to be caused by recombination of interstellar hydrogen that is ionized by an ongoing burst of star formation. Such Lyman alpha emission was first suggested as a signature of young galaxies ...
Its frequency is thus the Lyman-alpha hydrogen frequency, increased by a factor of (Z − 1) 2. This formula of f = c / λ = (Lyman-alpha frequency) ⋅ ( Z − 1) 2 is historically known as Moseley's law (having added a factor c to convert wavelength to frequency), and can be used to predict wavelengths of the K α (K-alpha) X-ray spectral ...
The equivalent width of a spectral line is a measure of the area of the line on a plot of intensity versus wavelength in relation to underlying continuum level. It is found by forming a rectangle with a height equal to that of continuum emission, and finding the width such that the area of the rectangle is equal to the area in the spectral line.
The year's highest savings rates have eased down in the wake of two Federal Reserve cuts, with the potential for lower yields after the Fed's final policy meeting in just a few weeks, when it's ...
Similarly to Lyman-alpha, the K-alpha emission is composed of two spectral lines, K-alpha 1 (Kα 1) and K-alpha 2 (Kα 2). [6] The K-alpha 1 emission is slightly higher in energy (and, thus, has a lower wavelength) than the K-alpha 2 emission. For all elements, the ratio of the intensities of K-alpha 1 and K-alpha 2 is very close to 2:1. [7]