abgestrahlte

Abgestrahlte is the past participle of the German verb abstrahlen and functions as an adjective or in predicate form to describe radiation that has been emitted by a source. The prefix ab- signals outward departure, while strahlen means to beam or radiate. As an attributive adjective it declines like other adjectives: das abgestrahlte Licht, die abgestrahlte Wärme, der abgestrahlte Energiestrom; die abgestrahlten Linien (plural).

In scientific and technical usage, abgestrahlte describes radiation that leaves a source rather than radiation incident on a surface. Common collocations include abgestrahlte Strahlung (emitted radiation), abgestrahlte Wärme (radiant heat), or abgestrahlte Photonen (emitted photons). The term appears in physics, optics, thermodynamics and related fields, for example when discussing blackbody radiation, infrared emission from hot bodies, or particle emission in a reaction.

In everyday German, the word can also appear figuratively to describe something that exudes a quality or atmosphere, such as a person who seems to emit calm or authority, though ausstrahlen is more typical for such figurative uses.

Etymology and grammar: abgestrahlte derives from ab- + strahlen and is declined according to gender, number, and case. English equivalents for the concept include emitted, radiated, or radiated radiation, depending on context.