ultraviolet catastrophe

Etymology
Coined by in 1911 in. From the explosion of energy at the ultraviolet end of the spectrum (away from visible and infrared light) caused by the Rayleigh-Jeans Law theory. The use of UV is to represent that end of the spectrum, given that the visible spectrum represents a stand-in for the whole electromagnetic spectrum, and infrared and ultraviolet are stand-ins for the endpoints. This usage is similar to that represented by the logic behind the terms "redshift" and "blueshift", which assume endpoints of red and blue.

Noun

 * 1)  A fault in classical physics, from the Rayleigh's Law/Rayleigh-Jeans Law outcomes at short wavelengths/high frequencies, that causes infinite amplification of shorter wavelength/higher frequency radiation inside a cavity, due to the application of equipartition theorem on black body radiation within a cavity.

Usage notes

 * This does not literally refer to the explosion of ultraviolet radiation, rather any radiation shorter than a specific limiting size of propagating radiation in a set sized cavity, dependent on the size of the cavity.

Coordinate terms

 * Wien's displacement law
 * Rayleigh-Jeans law
 * classical physics; 1900-1905
 * classical physics; post-1905
 * classical physics
 * a combination of Raleigh and Wien laws
 * classical physics; post-1905
 * classical physics
 * a combination of Raleigh and Wien laws