Exploring the Physics of Photon Emission

In summary: They behave like particles when they are being absorbed or emitted, but also exhibit wave-like behavior when they travel through space or interact with other particles. This duality is a fundamental aspect of the nature of photons and is a key concept in understanding the behavior of light.
  • #1
Hooloovoo
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When a photon is emitted, where did it come from? Did something cause it to be created and then emitted, or was it inside something and then released? How's it work?
 
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  • #2
Hooloovoo said:
When a photon is emitted, where did it come from? Did something cause it to be created and then emitted, or was it inside something and then released? How's it work?

You could ask the same question this way: when kinetic energy appear when you let go of a ball, where did it come from?

A photon is simply a clump of energy (with spin of 1). So it appears, naively, out of conservation of energy.

Zz.
 
  • #3
Hooloovoo said:
When a photon is emitted, where did it come from? Did something cause it to be created and then emitted, or was it inside something and then released? How's it work?
A photon is a particle that is actually created. How its created will depend on the particular process.

Pete
 
  • #4
Hooloovoo said:
When a photon is emitted, where did it come from? Did something cause it to be created and then emitted, or was it inside something and then released? How's it work?

Perhaps when light (invisible and with no mass) reflects off of an object a photon(s) is (are) created.
 
  • #5
In my opinion light, coming from atomic de-excitation must come from a physical principle very closely related to that one which tells us that accelerated charge emitts radiation.
Perhaps, in between two stable orbits, the "collapse" dynamics are very much the same as the one predicted by classical theory.

Best Wishes

DaTario
 
  • #6
DaTario said:
In my opinion light, coming from atomic de-excitation must come from a physical principle very closely related to that one which tells us that accelerated charge emitts radiation.
Perhaps, in between two stable orbits, the "collapse" dynamics are very much the same as the one predicted by classical theory.

I don't quite agree to that. If you say that QED can describe both energy transition and charge acceleration in the production of photons, I agree. But if you claim that classical E&M theory can make a coherent explanation for light emission in energy transition, I haven't seen it.

Remember that in an energy transition in an atom to emit photons, it isn't just a change in the principle quantum number "n" that produces an energy change. There is also a selection rule that requires a change of +- 1 in the orbital angular momentum. This accounts for the spin 1 that photons have and preserves conservation laws in a single transition.

Zz.
 
  • #7
Dear Zz,

I didn't say "classical E&M theory can make a coherent explanation for light emission in energy transition" but instead I said that, in my opinion, the photon's structure must have something of what is involved in the classical E&M explanation. Spin stuff is a nice argument of yours, and force me to take back my words and try another way to express my ideas.

If the electromagnetic field can be thinked of as a depositary of angular momentum which came from the electronic-atomic decay you may agree with me that it is possible to understand it in terms of the forces that photon will make upon another charged entities located elsewhere in the universe.

Do you agree with me in this point ?
 
  • #8
Its a common misconception of imagining a photon to something like a particle , or a point mass , a photon is infact a 'bundle-of-energy' , When you think about n number of photons striking a surface , think about much energy striking the surface.Photons represent the particle nature of light, which carry the energy in paryicle-sense , analogous to wave carrying the wave-energy in wave-nature sense.

BJ
 
  • #9
but what if you thing of light as a wave, the thwory states that a photon is both a particle and a wave
 
  • #10
Hmmm... this is a nearly 6-year old thread.
 
  • #11
nickthrop101 said:
but what if you thing of light as a wave, the thwory states that a photon is both a particle and a wave

Photons have both particle and wavelike properties which are explained by Quantum Mechanics.
 

1. What is photon emission?

Photon emission is the process by which a particle releases energy in the form of a photon, which is a fundamental unit of light. This can occur through a variety of mechanisms, such as electronic transitions in atoms or nuclear reactions.

2. How does photon emission relate to the field of physics?

Photon emission is a fundamental concept in physics, as it is responsible for the production of light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Understanding the mechanisms and properties of photon emission is crucial in fields such as optics, quantum mechanics, and astrophysics.

3. Can photon emission be observed in everyday life?

Yes, photon emission can be observed in many everyday situations. For example, when an incandescent light bulb is turned on, the heating of the filament causes electrons to release photons, creating light. Similarly, the glow of a fire or the light emitted from a smartphone screen are all examples of photon emission.

4. How is photon emission studied in a laboratory setting?

In a laboratory setting, photon emission can be studied through a variety of experimental techniques. These may include spectroscopy, which measures the energies and wavelengths of emitted photons, or particle accelerators, which can generate high-energy photons for study.

5. What are the potential applications of understanding photon emission?

Understanding photon emission has numerous potential applications in various fields, such as developing more efficient lighting technologies, improving solar energy collection, and advancing medical imaging techniques. Additionally, understanding the behavior of photons can also lead to advancements in quantum computing and communication.

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