This is a list of sources of light, including both natural and artificial processes that emit light. This article focuses on sources that produce wavelengths from about 390 to 700 nanometers called visible light.
Contents
- Electric discharge
- Incandescence
- Lamps
- Other
- Nuclear and high energy particle
- Celestial and atmospheric
- Luminescence
- Chemiluminescence
- Bioluminescence
- Electrochemiluminescence
- Crystalloluminescence
- Electroluminescence
- Cathodoluminescence
- Mechanoluminescence
- Photoluminescence
- Radioluminescence
- Thermoluminescence
- Cryoluminescence
- References
Electric discharge
Incandescence
Lamps
Other
Nuclear and high-energy particle
Celestial and atmospheric
Luminescence
Luminescence is emission of light by a substance not resulting from heat.
Chemiluminescence
Chemiluminescence is light resulting from a chemical reaction.
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is light resulting from biochemical reaction by a living organism.
Electrochemiluminescence
Electrochemiluminescence is light resulting from electrochemical reaction.
Crystalloluminescence
Crystalloluminescence is light produced during crystallization.
Electroluminescence
Electroluminescence is light resulting of an electric current passed through a substance.
Cathodoluminescence
Cathodoluminescence is light resulting from a luminescent material being struck by the electrons.
Mechanoluminescence
Mechanoluminescence is light resulting from a mechanical action on a solid.
Triboluminescence, a type of mechanoluminescence, is light generated when bonds in a material are broken when that material is scratched, crushed, or rubbed.
Fractoluminescence, a type of mechanoluminescence, is light generated when bonds in certain crystals are broken by fractures.
Piezoluminescence, a type of mechanoluminescence, is light produced by the action of pressure on certain solids.
Sonoluminescence, a type of mechanoluminescence, is light resulting from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound.
Photoluminescence
Photoluminescence is light resulting from absorption of photons.
Fluorescence, a type of photoluminescence, is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation.
Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs.
Radioluminescence
Radioluminescence is light resulting from bombardment by ionizing radiation.
Thermoluminescence
Thermoluminescence is light from the re-emission of absorbed energy when a substance is heated.
Cryoluminescence
Cryoluminescence is the emission of light when an object is cooled.