Question

In: Physics

What does an atom radiate: a wave packet or a single photon?

What does an atom radiate: a wave packet or a single photon?

Solutions

Expert Solution

An excited atom radiates off a wave packet, that is, an oscillatory pattern of EM field which is effectively localized in space and time. It certainly does not emit the strictly monochromatic plane wave (which is infinite in space and time), nor a pointlike object (a pointlike distribution of a field includes Fourier components with arbitrary large energy). One can even speak of the "shape" of this wave packet: it typically has a sharp front and an exponentially decaying tail.

A separate question is what is the photon? I guess there is no universal answer; the actual thing that we call "the photon" depends on the situation.

When we quantize electromagnetic field, "the photon" means the excitation of the EM field with a fixed energy and momentum. (To be more precise, we introduce a regulator function that decays off at infinity, but then we consider everything in the limit when the regulator function tends towards identical unity. So, for all purposes we still can think of the monochromatic excitation). But when we discuss the normal modes of EM field with non-trivial boundary conditions, for example in a resonator inside a laser, the photons although being monochromatic are not spatially infinite plane waves anymore.

When we talk about emission and absorption of light quanta, which always proceeds in more or less localized wave packets, we usually call these wave packets the photons. In certain cases, for example in astrophysics, we can even speak of the time when a photon was emitted (although this is not a momentary act!).

All these subtle differences become even more delicate when discussing neutrino oscillation. There has been and still is a lot of confusion which originates from unjustified assumptions of how a neutrino is produced and detected (wave packets vs. plane waves, the moment and the position when the neutrino is emitted, etc.). Luckily, the EM field do not mix (at least in vacuum)


Related Solutions

An electron in the hydrogen atom falls from the 2p to 1s state and a photon is emitted. What is the wavelength of the emitted photon (in nm)?
  An electron in the hydrogen atom falls from the 2p to 1s state and a photon is emitted. What is the wavelength of the emitted photon (in nm)? Select one: a. 20 b. 91 c. 122 d. 364 e. 138
What is the energy of a single photon of the UV light that was emitted?
A black light produces UV light with wavelengths below 400 nm. When the chemical quinine (which is in tonic water) is exposed to light with a wavelength of 383 nm, it becomes excited and then re-emits light at 450. nm. Is the re-emitted light lower or higher energy than the light that was absorbed? Is it lower or higher frequency? Answer this question without a calculation. What is the energy of a single photon of the UV light that was...
what is the wavelength of the longest wavelength photon that a Ground state hydrogen atom can...
what is the wavelength of the longest wavelength photon that a Ground state hydrogen atom can absorb?
A hydrogen atom emits a photon of energy about 13.22 eV. What are the values of...
A hydrogen atom emits a photon of energy about 13.22 eV. What are the values of n for the initial and final states involved in this transition? ni =       [5 points] 0 attempt(s) made (maximum allowed for credit = 5) nf =       [5 points] 0 attempt(s) made (maximum allowed for credit = 5)
What is meant by the orbital approximation for the wave function of a many electron atom?...
What is meant by the orbital approximation for the wave function of a many electron atom? Describe the limitations of this approximation.
a) A photon is observed coming from an isolated hydrogen atom with 1.89eV energy. What transition...
a) A photon is observed coming from an isolated hydrogen atom with 1.89eV energy. What transition has just been observed? Select one:a. n=4 to n=2b. n=5 to n=3c. n=3 to n=2d. n=5 to n=4 b) The number of electrons per second ejected from a metal in the photoelectric effect is proportional to Select one:a. the frequency of the incident light b. the threshold frequency of the material c. the wavelength of the incident light d. the intensity of the incident...
A hydrogen atom (Z = 1) is in the fourth excited state, and a photon is...
A hydrogen atom (Z = 1) is in the fourth excited state, and a photon is either emitted or absorbed. Concepts: (i) What is the quantum number of the fourth excited state? 12    345 (ii) When an atom emits a photon, is the final quantum number nf of the atom greater than or less than the initial quantum number ni? greater thanless than     (iii) When an atom absorbs a photon, is the final quantum number nf of the atom greater than...
The energy of a photon released due to an electronic transition in an atom is: (select...
The energy of a photon released due to an electronic transition in an atom is: (select all that apply) Group of answer choices due to a transition from a lower energy level to a higher energy level calculated by subtracting the energy of the final state from the energy of the initial state only associated with emission lines in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum proportional to the speed of light and inversely proportional to its wavelength equal to...
An electron in the n = 5 level of an H atom emits a photon of...
An electron in the n = 5 level of an H atom emits a photon of wavelength 4052.28 nm. To what energy level does the electron move?
Suppose a photon is absorbed by the electron in a hydrogen atom in an n= 2...
Suppose a photon is absorbed by the electron in a hydrogen atom in an n= 2 state. What wavelength should the photon have to enable the electron to transition to the n= 4 state? Once the photon is absorbed, what are the various wavelengths of photons that could be emitted by the atom? (Use Bohr approximation).
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT