What does the Saha equation show?
Saha equation, mathematical relationship between the observed spectra of stars and their temperatures. The equation was stated first in 1920 by the Indian astrophysicist Meghnad N. It expresses how the state of ionization of any particular element in a star changes with varying temperatures and pressures.
Why do we use the partition function in the Saha’s equation of ionization?
The partition function Hold on a moment — that calculation shows that stars must be REALLY hot in order for a collision to ionize a hydrogen atom in its ground state. In order to do this calculation properly, we need to form a weighted average of the fraction of neutral atoms in each energy state.
How do you find ionization fractions?
The ionization fraction xe is obtained by balancing the net rates of ionization and recombination. Electrons are captured via dissociative recombination with molecular ions (e.g., HCO+) and radiative recombination with heavy-metal ions (e.g., Mg+).
Who developed Saha equation?
Meghnad Saha
It was at this tender age of 26 that Meghnad Saha, who was working at Calcutta University far away from the world’s major centres of physics research and who never had a formal training from any research supervisor, formulated the celebrated Saha ionization equation and revolutionized astrophysics by applying it to …
What do you mean by thermal ionization?
Thermal ionization, also known as surface ionization or contact ionization, is a physical process whereby the atoms are desorbed from a hot surface, and in the process are ionized. Thermal ionization is used to make simple ion sources, for mass spectrometry and for generating ion beams.
Who gave ionization theory?
It was at this tender age of 26 that Meghnad Saha, who was working at Calcutta University far away from the world’s major centres of physics research and who never had a formal training from any research supervisor, formulated the celebrated Saha ionization equation and revolutionized astrophysics by applying it to …
What temperature does hydrogen ionize at?
Temperature Dependence Thus, hydrogen is present almost entirely in the form of neutral hydrogen (H I) for temperatures below about 7000 K, but above that temperature there is a rapid transition so that above about 10,000 K the hydrogen is present almost completely as ionized hydrogen (H II).
What is the Saha?
The Saha equation describes the degree of ionization for any gas in thermal equilibrium as a function of the temperature, density, and ionization energies of the atoms. The Saha equation only holds for weakly ionized plasmas for which the Debye length is large.
What is ionized hydrogen?
Ionised hydrogen, commonly called HII (pronounced H-two), is a hydrogen atom that has lost its electron and is now positively charged. It is easily detected at optical wavelengths as it releases a photon of wavelength 656.3 nm when it recaptures an electron and returns to its neutral state.