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IntuitioN
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Just a general q: at what kinetic energy do electrons speeds become relativistic? I heard some people mention from 20keV onwards... is that correct?
0 in the frame of the electron!robphy said:This reminds me of a neat calculation:
What is the speed of an electron in a (Bohr model) hydrogen atom? (Express your answer as a fraction of the speed of light.) [You don't need a calculator.]
ups, that means 2.5 keV of course (1/2 %).Ich said:"relativistic" usually means v> 0.1 c, where SR corrections are more than 1%. That would mean about 50 keV for an electron.
yogi said:ropbhy - first Bohr orbit it is apha = (1/137)c
robphy said:This reminds me of a neat calculation:
What is the speed of an electron in a (Bohr model) hydrogen atom? (Express your answer as a fraction of the speed of light.) [You don't need a calculator.]
Meir Achuz said:NR, I would get 5\sqrt{3}/(4*alpha), which means it is a relativistic question. Is that what you meant? This becomes relativistic, with a bit of a messy integral involved.
It depends on the precision of your equipment/experiment. Take protons as an example. There have been experiments in which the mass of low speed protons has been detectable. I think the experiment was called a "Penning Trap."IntuitioN said:Just a general q: at what kinetic energy do electrons speeds become relativistic? I heard some people mention from 20keV onwards... is that correct?
Meir Achuz said:The model is wrong,... .
Relativistic electrons are electrons that are moving at speeds close to the speed of light. This means that they have a significant amount of kinetic energy and are subject to the effects of special relativity.
The kinetic energy of a particle is directly related to its speed. As electrons approach the speed of light, their kinetic energy increases significantly, making them relativistic.
The 20keV threshold refers to the minimum amount of energy that an electron must have in order to be considered relativistic. At this energy level, the electron will have a speed close to the speed of light and will exhibit the effects of special relativity.
Understanding relativistic electrons is important in many fields, such as particle physics, astrophysics, and medical imaging. It also has practical applications in the development of technologies such as particle accelerators and high-energy lasers.
Relativistic electrons play a significant role in many astrophysical phenomena, such as the formation of cosmic rays, the dynamics of black holes, and the acceleration of particles in space. Understanding their behavior is crucial in expanding our understanding of the universe.