Light emission question.

cragar

Someone told me that an electron can't emit a single photon because
it would violate conservation of momentum and energy.
I thought about cyclotron radiation. Lets say an electron is being bent in a B field
so it starts to radiate, cant we just say that this momentum and energy came from the
B field.

andrien

it is the free electron which can not emit photon.Under the action of potentials,it will like in bremmstrahlung(spelling may be wrong) it does get accelerated and it radiates.In case of magnetic field,when charge particle is there.It will emit radiation, it is particularity of what is called synchrotron radiation.Just google to find out more on this.

sophiecentaur

If an electron is having its path bent by some external field, there must be (relatively) massive piece of equipment involved so the electron is not actually 'isolated'. A photon of bremmstrahlung radiation will have momentum but the whole of the electron plus accelerating kit could be regarded as sharing the momentum that's exchanged.

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cragar	Light emission question. Tweet Someone told me that an electron can't emit a single photon because it would violate conservation of momentum and energy. I thought about cyclotron radiation. Lets say an electron is being bent in a B field so it starts to radiate, cant we just say that this momentum and energy came from the B field.

andrien	it is the free electron which can not emit photon.Under the action of potentials,it will like in bremmstrahlung(spelling may be wrong) it does get accelerated and it radiates.In case of magnetic field,when charge particle is there.It will emit radiation, it is particularity of what is called synchrotron radiation.Just google to find out more on this.

sophiecentaur Recognitions: Gold Member Science Advisor	If an electron is having its path bent by some external field, there must be (relatively) massive piece of equipment involved so the electron is not actually 'isolated'. A photon of bremmstrahlung radiation will have momentum but the whole of the electron plus accelerating kit could be regarded as sharing the momentum that's exchanged.