The classical free electron photon emission and absorption.

In summary, the classical free electron photon emission and absorption is a phenomenon in which an electron emits or absorbs a photon while under the influence of an external electromagnetic field. It occurs when an electron gains or loses energy and is governed by classical electrodynamics and the laws of conservation of energy and momentum. This phenomenon is significant in understanding the interaction between matter and electromagnetic fields and plays a crucial role in various fields of science and technology. It is a macroscopic process that can be observed in real-life scenarios, such as the emission of light by heated metals and the absorption of light by semiconductors. However, it is different from quantum processes, which occur at the microscopic level and require the use of quantum mechanics to accurately describe them.
  • #1
goodphy
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The definition of the Gaunt factor.

Hello.

I'm wondering about the Gaunt factor.

I'm currently interesting in the spectroscopy in which the Gaunt factor is the correction factor to the classical cross section associated to the photon with electron thus the corrected formula is the identical to the formula derived in quantum-mechanical way.

For photon-free electron interaction, the several papers define the Gaunt factor as σ[itex]_{q,a}[/itex]/σ[itex]_{c,a}[/itex] where q and c stand for 'quantum' and 'classical' while a means absorption of the photon by electron (inverse bremsstrahlung).

It seems that this definition is exact for photon absorption by electron.

My question is whether the Gaunt factor defined in this way is also applicable to the photon emission from free electron (bremsstrahlung) or not.

Please help to clarify me!
 
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The Gaunt factor is generally used to quantify the correction to the classical cross section when considering the emission of radiation due to electron-photon interactions. It is applicable to both absorption and emission processes, where it is defined as the ratio of the quantum to classical cross sections for the given process. Specifically for bremsstrahlung radiation, the Gaunt factor is used to correct for the difference between the classical and quantum mechanical cross sections.
 

1. What is the classical free electron photon emission and absorption?

The classical free electron photon emission and absorption is a phenomenon in which an electron emits or absorbs a photon (particle of light) while under the influence of an external electromagnetic field. This phenomenon is described by classical electrodynamics and is important in understanding the behavior of electrons in materials.

2. How does the classical free electron photon emission and absorption occur?

The classical free electron photon emission and absorption occurs when an electron is subjected to an external electromagnetic field. The electron will either gain or lose energy, causing it to emit or absorb a photon. This process is governed by Maxwell's equations and the laws of conservation of energy and momentum.

3. What is the significance of the classical free electron photon emission and absorption?

The classical free electron photon emission and absorption is significant in understanding the interaction between matter and electromagnetic fields. It is also important in various fields of science and technology, such as optics, electronics, and material science. This phenomenon also plays a crucial role in the emission and absorption of light in many natural and artificial systems.

4. How is the classical free electron photon emission and absorption different from quantum processes?

The classical free electron photon emission and absorption is a macroscopic process that can be described by classical electrodynamics. In contrast, quantum processes occur at the microscopic level and require the use of quantum mechanics to describe them accurately. In quantum processes, the energy of an electron is not continuous but is quantized, meaning that it can only take on certain discrete values.

5. Can the classical free electron photon emission and absorption be observed in real-life scenarios?

Yes, the classical free electron photon emission and absorption can be observed in real-life scenarios. One example is the emission of light by a heated metal, which is caused by the electrons in the metal gaining energy from the thermal vibrations of the atoms and emitting photons. Another example is the absorption of light by semiconductors, which leads to the generation of electron-hole pairs. These processes are crucial in many technological applications, such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes.

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