- #1
Jeff Root
- 76
- 6
My understanding is that the wavelength or frequency of an
individual photon cannot be reliably measured. For example,
if a beam of monochromatic light is filtered so that only one
photon at a time enters a spectroscope, each photon may land
anywhere on the screen. Only when a statistically large number
of photons have hit the screen does it become apparent that
they form a bright line in a specific position, with individual
hits having something similar to a Gaussian distribution.
The fact that the pattern emerges from observing the hits of
numerous individual photons shows that each individual photon
does have the same specific wavelength and frequency.
Also, detection of a photon is all or nothing. A photon is
either detected or not. The entire photon must reach any
detector in order for it to be detected, and then all you can
know is where and when the photon hit, and roughly how much
energy it had relative to the detector, again with something
like a Gaussian distribution. That means the waveform of an
individual photon cannot be observed at all.
The electric force is carried by virtual photons.
Positive charges continuously "emit" virtual photons which
repel other positive charges and attract negative charges.
Negative charges continuously "emit" virtual photons which
repel other negative charges and attract positive charges.
There must be a difference between these two types of virtual
photons. Could it be a difference in their waveforms?
For example, might virtual photons emitted by positive
charges have an electric field which first goes positive,
then negative, while virtual photons emitted by negative
charges have an electric field which first goes negative,
then positive?
Such as the two configurations on the left in this diagram:
http://www.freemars.org/jeff/misc/cosmolog/4photons.png
-- Jeff, in Minneapolis
individual photon cannot be reliably measured. For example,
if a beam of monochromatic light is filtered so that only one
photon at a time enters a spectroscope, each photon may land
anywhere on the screen. Only when a statistically large number
of photons have hit the screen does it become apparent that
they form a bright line in a specific position, with individual
hits having something similar to a Gaussian distribution.
The fact that the pattern emerges from observing the hits of
numerous individual photons shows that each individual photon
does have the same specific wavelength and frequency.
Also, detection of a photon is all or nothing. A photon is
either detected or not. The entire photon must reach any
detector in order for it to be detected, and then all you can
know is where and when the photon hit, and roughly how much
energy it had relative to the detector, again with something
like a Gaussian distribution. That means the waveform of an
individual photon cannot be observed at all.
The electric force is carried by virtual photons.
Positive charges continuously "emit" virtual photons which
repel other positive charges and attract negative charges.
Negative charges continuously "emit" virtual photons which
repel other negative charges and attract positive charges.
There must be a difference between these two types of virtual
photons. Could it be a difference in their waveforms?
For example, might virtual photons emitted by positive
charges have an electric field which first goes positive,
then negative, while virtual photons emitted by negative
charges have an electric field which first goes negative,
then positive?
Such as the two configurations on the left in this diagram:
http://www.freemars.org/jeff/misc/cosmolog/4photons.png
-- Jeff, in Minneapolis