The discussion revolves around various questions and concepts related to light, including its emission, propagation, interaction with matter, and its dual nature as both a wave and a particle. Participants explore theoretical aspects, experimental implications, and conceptual clarifications regarding light's behavior and properties.
Participants express a range of views, with some agreeing on the basic principles of light emission and propagation while others challenge the adequacy of classical models like Bohr's. The discussion remains unresolved on several points, particularly regarding the nature of light and its interactions.
Participants acknowledge limitations in their understanding of advanced topics such as quantum electrodynamics (QED) and the mathematical frameworks required to fully grasp the behavior of light.
This discussion may be of interest to those studying physics, particularly in the areas of optics, quantum mechanics, and electromagnetism, as well as anyone curious about the fundamental nature of light.
reilly said:GRB 080319B -- Once again, let me suggest that to answer your questions, and for you to understand the answers is an exercise of three years of study -- two if you are really quick. That is to say, you will need to understand and master most of Jackson's E&M text, and then master a basic course in QM, and then master an introductory course in quantum electrodynamics. Look at it as: the answers to your questions will take several hundred pages of text. For the level of specificity you request, there are not any short cuts. That's life in the physics world. (If you don't understand thermal radiation, then you are in trouble, and thus you need a course or book on the physical phenomena that lead to quantum theory -- often advertised a a beginning course in atomic physics -- like Planck and Einstein and Bohr. If you do not have a good grasp of the basic atomic physics involved, you will never understand light.
Good luck,.
Reilly Atkinson