Can a Photon Have a Perfectly Smooth Orbit?

In summary, a photon cannot have a perfectly smooth orbit. If its wavelength were to become twice the diameter of its orbit then would the wave not become a replica of the orbit offset by the amplitude? Similarly say the amplitude is the radius of the orbit and the wavelength is the diameter would the wave not travel in a straight line through the centre? If the orbits are unstable, you don't have to worry about interference - the photon will not live long enough anyway. If the orbits are stable, photons might be long-living for specific frequencies only.
  • #1
Leon (AW)
8
0
can a photon have a perfectly smooth orbit?

say for e.g. you have a photon orbiting a point, if its wavelength were to become twice the diameter of its orbit then would the wave not become a replica of the orbit offset by the amplitude?

similarly say the amplitude is the radius of the orbit and the wavelength is the diameter would the wave not travel in a straight line through the centre?
 
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  • #2
Photon orbits require black holes, otherwise their deflection is not strong enough. I don't think those orbits are stable, but I would have to check. If the orbits are unstable, you don't have to worry about interference - the photon will not live long enough anyway. If the orbits are stable, photons might be long-living for specific frequencies only.
offset by the amplitude? [...] similarly say the amplitude is the radius of the orbit
The amplitude of a photon is not a displacement or length in space.
 
  • #3
mfb said:
The amplitude of a photon is not a displacement or length in space.

Isn't its displacement in space the principal through which polorization works?
 
  • #4
No, it is the direction of the electric field. This is NOT a line in space (but some images are misleading, as they plot it like that), the direction is defined at every point in space.
 
  • #5
mfb said:
Photon orbits require black holes, otherwise their deflection is not strong enough. I don't think those orbits are stable, but I would have to check. If the orbits are unstable, you don't have to worry about interference - the photon will not live long enough anyway. If the orbits are stable, photons might be long-living for specific frequencies only.
The amplitude of a photon is not a displacement or length in space.

Yup, photon orbits around black holes are unstable.
 
  • #6
My intuition is that you cannot get stable photonic modes around a singularity due to diffraction of the photonic wavefunction.

Claude.
 

1. Can a photon have a perfectly smooth orbit?

No, a photon cannot have a perfectly smooth orbit. This is because photons are particles of light and they do not have mass, so they cannot orbit around a central object like other particles with mass do.

2. What determines the path of a photon?

The path of a photon is determined by its wavelength and frequency. These properties dictate how the photon will interact with matter and how it will travel through space.

3. Is it possible for a photon to have a circular orbit?

No, it is not possible for a photon to have a circular orbit. This is because photons travel in a straight line at the speed of light and do not have the ability to change direction or slow down to form an orbit.

4. How do we know that photons do not have a perfectly smooth orbit?

We know that photons do not have a perfectly smooth orbit because they follow the laws of quantum mechanics. These laws dictate that photons cannot have a fixed position or trajectory, making it impossible for them to have a smooth orbit.

5. Why do some sources claim that photons have an orbit?

Some sources may claim that photons have an orbit because they may be referring to the path of a photon through space, rather than a traditional orbit around a central object. However, this path is not a smooth orbit, but rather a straight line with variations caused by gravitational fields or other factors.

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