Can an object emit all the frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum if we keep increasing its temperature? Please note that I do not mean a blackbody here, but a body which is not at thermal equilibrium.

Question

Can an object emit all the frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum if we keep increasing its temperature? Please note that I do not mean a blackbody here, but a body which is not at thermal equilibrium.

In: Physics

Answer 1

Ordinary matter above absolute zero emits light across all frequencies.

The peak of how those frequencies are distributed changes with temperature, but it is spread out across the entire spectrum. You can do the math can figure out how many gamma rays an ice cube is emitting.