Definition
The continuum is the smooth, continuously varying portion of an electromagnetic spectrum, with no spectral features such as atomic or molecular lines or bands. It may be produced by different physical processes: radiative recombination of electrons previously in free states, two-photon decays of metastable levels, thermal bremsstrahlung, blackbody radiation, and synchrotron emission.
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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Rouan, D. (2014). Continuum. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_346-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_346-2
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4
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