total noise power of a resistor (all frequencies)

Question

Let's calculate the power generated by Johnson-Nyquist noise (and then immediately dissipated as heat) in a short-circuited resistor. I mean the total power at all frequencies, zero to infinity...

$$(\text{Noise power at frequency }f) = \frac{V_{rms}^2}{R} = \frac{4hf}{e^{hf/k_BT}-1}df$$ $$(\text{Total noise power}) = \int_0^\infty \frac{4hf}{e^{hf/k_BT}-1}df $$ $$=\frac{4(k_BT)^2}{h}\int_0^\infty \frac{\frac{hf}{k_BT}}{e^{hf/k_BT}-1}d(\frac{hf}{k_BT})$$ $$=\frac{4(k_BT)^2}{h}\int_0^\infty \frac{x}{e^x-1}dx=\frac{4(k_BT)^2}{h}\frac{\pi^2}{6}$$ $$=\frac{\pi k_B^2}{3\hbar}T^2$$ i.e. temperature squared times a certain constant, 1.893E-12 W/K².

Is there a name for this constant? Or any literature discussing its significance or meaning? Is there any intuitive way to understand why total blackbody radiation goes as temperature to the fourth power, but total Johnson noise goes only as temperature squared?

Answer 1

I think you've just derived the Stefan-Boltzman law for a one-dimensional system. The T^4 comes from three dimensions. The more dimensions the quanta can populate the higher power of T you get.