An Alternative Explanation for the Praunhofer Sun Lines

摘要

Since their observation by J. Fraunhofer, the dark lines in the Sun spectrum have been exploited as markers to calibrate the dispersion spectra produced by glass prisms. G. Kirch-hoff stressed their fundamental meaning by interpreting them as absorption lines typical of each chemical element in the gas state. He based on a thermodynamic principle established by himself, according to which cooler gases above both the Sun's and the Earth's surfaces strip many lines from the continuous Sun emission spectrum, as they can absorb the same wavelengths they can emit. In this paper we argue that, although Fraunhofer lines allow wavelength scale calibration, they can actually be interpreted as an interference pattern produced by collimated Sun light beams.