All Questions
10
questions
1
vote
2
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134
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Quantum mechanical description of a photon arriving at a telescope from extremely far away
Typically, telescopes are explained in terms of bouncing light paths around. For example, this image from wikipedia shows "photon tracks" being redirected:
I realize this is a very ...
- 7,012
0
votes
1
answer
282
views
Wave function and speed of light
When a photon is generated, it travels at the speed of c in the form of propagating electromagnetic wave until the photon interacts with something else to have its energy absorbed or converted. Is ...
- 9
0
votes
1
answer
74
views
Conditional average of a field in physics: $\langle \Psi \rangle_{ij}^i = \langle \Psi \rangle_i^i$
I was just reading this article on the quasicrystalline approximation (QCA). The article abstract says the following:
The quasicrystalline approximation (QCA) was first introduced by Lax to break the ...
- 889
1
vote
0
answers
70
views
How does Einstein's oscillatory & quantum structure of radiation from 1909 relate to modern physics
In his 1909 lecture The Development of Our Views on the Composition and Essence of Radiation Einstein discusses two structures of "radiation":
As far as I know, no mathematical theory has been ...
- 171
1
vote
1
answer
124
views
Atomic (electron) recombination via the Schrodinger Equation
Photon radiative transitions are often modeled from electron bound state (e.g. in an atomic potential) to the continuum (free states). However, I've never seen the inverse process (recombination) ...
- 1,601
5
votes
1
answer
2k
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Is the photon's wave function the same as an electromagnetic wave (light)? [duplicate]
The first that i have been taught in Quantum Mechanics is the photoelectric phenomenon. Without analyzing it, it concludes that when we shine light at the circuit (roughly speaking), the work required ...
- 7,720
8
votes
2
answers
13k
views
What does a light wave look like? (3D model)
What does a light wave look like?
The only models I can seem to find online are 2D waves, they just look like sin() graphs.
I have seen the models of the two components of "light waves" (electric ...
- 297
0
votes
0
answers
53
views
Photograph of Light as Wave and Particle [duplicate]
what is this? actually its the first photo of light as wave and a particle.
The bottom "slice" of the image shows the particles, while the top image shows light as a wave.
i have questions
1.how ...
- 290
6
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Linear vs. quadratic dispersion relation
In wave mechanics the dispersion relation between frequency $\omega$ and wave number $k$ is linear: $$\omega_n=c k_n$$
But in quantum mechanics, based on Schrödinger's equation, one can show that we ...
- 4,685
5
votes
2
answers
582
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Is the electron wave function defined during photon emission
I have heard the term quantum leap to describe the (instantaneous?) transition from a higher energy orbital to a lower energy orbital. Yet, I understand that this transition time has now been ...
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