Luminescence
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Luminescence is a general term for the emission of electromagnetic radiation at a different wavelength than that at which it is absorbed. Luminescence in particular refers to emission from a relatively low-temperature source.
The word "luminescence" actually refers to "cold light", and the term was originally used to refer to bodies that emitted light at low temperatures, in comparison with incandescence or thermal radiation for bodies at high temperatures.
Historically, radioactivity was first thought of as a form of "radioluminescence", although it is today considered to be separate since it involves more than electromagnetic radiation.
See also
- Bioluminescence
- Chemoluminescence
- Crystalloluminescence
- Photoluminescence
- Thermoluminescence
- Triboluminescence
- Electroluminescence
- Radioluminescence
External links
- Luminescence on Scienceworld (http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/Luminescence.html)de:Lumineszenz