Individual photons or electrons on a screen?

[johnthekid]

Are those dots actual particles of photons or electrons? I personally think those are not actual photon or electron individuals because I always thought photons and electrons are subatomic.

 

[Nugatory]

We can’t say for these exact images because we don’t know where they came from - they may be real photos or they may be simulation output. But they could be real, there are techniques sensitive enough to detect the impact of a single subatomic particle and amplify it into a visible dot on a screen or piece of photographic film.

 

[johnthekid]

We can’t say for these exact images because we don’t know where they came from - they may be real photos or they may be simulation output. But they could be real, there are techniques sensitive enough to detect the impact of a single subatomic particle and amplify it into a visible dot on a screen or piece of photographic film.

I almost give up physics everytime I saw something like this experiment. I believe the individual dots on the screen represent the interactions between electrons or photons with the atoms on the screen, but not really demonstrating that we finally observe each individual electrons or photons on a screem.

 

[PeroK]

I almost give up physics everytime I saw something like this experiment. I believe the individual dots on the screen represent the interactions between electrons or photons with the atoms on the screen, but not really demonstrating that we finally observe each individual electrons or photons on a screem.

What you need is a Photo(n)multiplier:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photomultiplier_tube

 

[johnthekid]

What you need is a Photo(n)multiplier:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photomultiplier_tube

Thanks, just watched a clip of a demo of how photomultiplier tubes detect photons

...and it doesn't show the individual photon particles like the double slit experiments. Instead, it shows peaks when it detect photons. Is it possible that the dots on the screen are just the grainy surface of the screen absorbing photons or electrons one by one and as the time goes the screen surface absorbs more photons or electrons?

 

[PeroK]

Thanks, just watched a clip of a demo of how photomultiplier tubes detect photons

...and it doesn't show the individual photon particles like the double slit experiments. Instead, it shows peaks when it detect photons. Is it possible that the dots on the screen are just the grainy surface of the screen absorbing photons or electrons one by one and as the time goes the screen surface absorbs more photons or electrons?

I'm not an experimentalist. Hopefully, someone else on here can give you a satisfactory answer. In the meantime, you could do your own reaseach:

https://www.rp-photonics.com/single_photon_detectors.html