High Energy Photon Recieved as Lesser Energy Photons?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the possibility of a single high energy photon being emitted and subsequently received as multiple lower energy photons. The scope includes theoretical considerations and potential experimental observations related to photon behavior in various contexts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that this phenomenon can occur through non-linear materials, specifically mentioning spontaneous parametric down-conversion.
  • Others argue that pair production, which involves a high energy photon, requires additional conditions such as interaction with nuclei for momentum conservation, and typically results in the production of electron-positron pairs that annihilate to produce lower energy photons.
  • A later reply questions the feasibility of pair production occurring in vacuum with just a high energy photon, suggesting that it usually requires additional photons or interactions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the mechanisms by which a high energy photon could be received as lower energy photons, indicating that multiple competing models and interpretations remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on specific conditions for pair production and the nature of interactions required for photon behavior in various materials.

Chris Frisella
Messages
76
Reaction score
6
Is it possible (and has it been observed) where a single high energy photon is emitted, but then is received as multiple lower energy photons?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
This can happen when the photon is absorbed and re-emitted through some "non-linear" materials. See Spontaneous parametric down-conversion.

I don't know if at high photon energies (gamma rays) in vacuum you could get pair production and then recombination producing different number of photons. Maybe someone else can answer that.
 
Pair production requires something in addition to the gamma ray. At high enough density (right after the big bang) it can be photon+photon.

On Earth pair production takes place by interacting with nuclei (necessary for momentum conservation). Typical result is production of electron-positron pair. The positron gets annihilated with an electron to produce two 511 kev photons, which is less than the original gamma ray (> 1022 kev).
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: MisterX
Thank you both!
 

Similar threads

High School Photoelectric and summation of photons energy
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
681
Undergrad 2-Slit: How do we know photon guns only produce single photons?
  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
Undergrad Why can’t photons “pile up” to eject an electron?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
High School Does a photon's energy change as it refracts?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
High School What do these wavenumbers correspond to in Raman spectroscopy?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Undergrad Do atoms recoil when emitting a photon?
  • · Replies 38 ·
2
Replies
38
Views
7K
Undergrad Will an electron release energy when it is added into an atom?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad Where does the energy come from?
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
2K
Undergrad Electromagnetic radiation, photons, quantized energy levels
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Graduate What is the quantum picture of laser field accelerating free electrons?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K