## Number of cycles of light per photon

That picture works for hydrogen atoms in very high excited states, called Rydberg atoms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rydberg_atom

For transitions emitting light in the visible or x-ray range that picture does not work (to the best of my knowledge) and you have to dig deeper into the QM of the system.

The same question could be asked about other particles. In 1962, de Broglie stated on page 4 of the monograph "Interpretation of Wave Mechanics"

 Experiments show that the wave trains corresponding to photons of light are several million wavelengths long (i.e. several meters long), which is very different from $10^{-12}$ or even $10^{-8}$ cm. For electrons, recent experiments (Möllensted in Germany, Faget and Fert in Toulouse) have shown that the wave trains also have a length equal to very many times the wavelength (which is here of the order of $10^{-9}$ cm) and hence the wave train is very much longer than $10^{-12}$ or even $10^{-8}$.
 Phil: Thanks for the reference to de Broglie's paper, I just downloaded the PDF and it looks like it will be interesting reading. Do you have any link or title that I could search on the more recent work you mention? The thought of a long wave train for a particle with mass is a real brain twister for me, but the more interesting therefore. MQ: I think we are pretty much OK in the visual spectrum as that is the area that originally piqued my interest. X-rays are likely to be considerably different if my limited knowledge of their generation has the significance that I think it does. I am not naive enough to think that the ideas I am tossing around have any value when it comes to calculating outcomes, but rather more for me as a means of perceiving physical realities in the processes that are not blatantly negated by experimental tests. DC

 Quote by DarioC Phil: Thanks for the reference to de Broglie's paper, I just downloaded the PDF and it looks like it will be interesting reading. Do you have any link or title that I could search on the more recent work you mention? The thought of a long wave train for a particle with mass is a real brain twister for me, but the more interesting therefore.
Unfortunately the book I mentioned (English translation) is out of print and hard to get a hold of. You might try a large library, especially at a technical college if possible. An English translation of his book "Introduction to the Study of Wave Mechanics" is easily available and inexpensive but has a strong focus on mathematics rather than being overly conceptual. There is a lot of material by de Broglie in French.
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