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Textbook Solutions for An Introduction to Thermal Physics

Chapter 7 Problem 47P

Question

Problem 47P

In the text I claimed that the universe was filled with ionized gas until its temperature cooled to about 3000 K. To see why, assume that the universe contains only photons and hydrogen atoms, with a constant ratio of 109 photons per hydrogen atom. Calculate and plot the fraction of atoms that were ionized as a function of temperature, for temperatures between 0 and 6000 K. How does the result change if the ratio of photons to atoms is 108, 1010? (Hint: Write everything in terms of dimensionless variables such as t = kT/I, where I is the ionization energy of hydrogen.)

Solution

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The first step in solving 7 problem number 46 trying to solve the problem we have to refer to the textbook question: Problem 47PIn the text I claimed that the universe was filled with ionized gas until its temperature cooled to about 3000 K. To see why, assume that the universe contains only photons and hydrogen atoms, with a constant ratio of 109 photons per hydrogen atom. Calculate and plot the fraction of atoms that were ionized as a function of temperature, for temperatures between 0 and 6000 K. How does the result change if the ratio of photons to atoms is 108, 1010? (Hint: Write everything in terms of dimensionless variables such as t = kT/I, where I is the ionization energy of hydrogen.)
From the textbook chapter Quantum Statistics you will find a few key concepts needed to solve this.

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Title An Introduction to Thermal Physics  1 
Author Daniel V. Schroeder
ISBN 9780201380279

In the text I claimed that the universe was filled with

Chapter 7 textbook questions

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