Energy of proton in continuum

[Lori15]

Hi

I am doing a beginners physics course and I am learning about free-free emissions and bound bound emissions.
I understand that an electron can emit and absorb any amount of energy if its in the continuum and therefore free. But what about the proton? It it sits in the continuuem can it also emit and absorb any amount of energy?
Thanks
L

 

[genneth]

Yes.

 

[sir-pinski]

Hi L,

Great question! The energy of a proton in the continuum is a bit different from that of an electron. Protons are much heavier than electrons and therefore have a much higher energy threshold for emission and absorption. In the continuum, protons can still emit and absorb energy, but only in specific discrete amounts, unlike electrons which can emit and absorb any amount of energy.

This is because protons are bound by the strong nuclear force to the nucleus of an atom, whereas electrons are only bound by the electromagnetic force to the nucleus. This difference in binding forces results in the energy levels of protons being quantized, meaning they can only exist at certain energy levels and cannot emit or absorb any amount of energy like electrons can.

However, in certain extreme conditions such as in high-energy particle accelerators or in the center of a neutron star, protons can be accelerated to very high energies and can emit and absorb energy in a similar way to electrons. But in most cases, the energy of a proton in the continuum is limited to specific discrete levels.

I hope this helps clarify the concept for you. Keep up the good work in your physics course!