Absorption (electromagnetic radiation)

In physics, absorption of electromagnetic radiation is how matter (typically electrons bound in atoms) takes up a photon's energy — and so transforms electromagnetic energy into internal energy of the absorber (for example, thermal energy). A notable effect is attenuation, or the gradual reduction of the intensity of light waves as they propagate through a medium. Although the absorption of waves does not usually depend on their intensity (linear absorption), in certain conditions (optics) the medium's transparency changes by a factor that varies as a function of wave intensity, and saturable absorption (or nonlinear absorption) occurs. Mathematical descriptions of opacity Many approaches can potentially quantify radiation absorption, with key examples following. The absorption coefficient along with some closely related derived quantities The attenuation coefficient (NB used infrequently with meaning synonymous with "absorption coefficient") The Molar attenuation coefficient (also called "molar absorptivity"), which is the absorption coefficient divided by molarity (see also Beer–Lambert law) The mass attenuation coefficient (also called "mass extinction coefficient"), which is the absorption coefficient divided by density The absorption cross section and scattering cross-section, related closely to the absorption and attenuation coefficients, respectively "Extinction" in astronomy, which is equivalent to the attenuation coefficient Other measures of radiation absorption, including penetration depth and skin effect, propagation constant, attenuation constant, phase constant, and complex wavenumber, complex refractive index and extinction coefficient, complex dielectric constant, electrical resistivity and conductivity. Related measures, including absorbance (also called "optical density") and optical depth (also called "optical thickness") All these quantities measure, at least to some extent, how well a medium absorbs radiation. Which among them practitioners use varies by field and technique, often due simply to the convention.