Bigthink - Idea Comments Feed

Comment on: Why don't stable atoms constantly emit light?

Bigthink — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:10:09 +0100

(I wish we could edit comments)
In response to your second comment, yes, I see this as being very related.
What surprises me is that I've not heard much mention of the loss of the continuity of motion. It seem analogous to the loss of absolute simultaneity in light of relativity, but, in this case, under-appreciated.

If an object need not accelerate through space between point A and B, how does relativity apply? Could an atom or rocket ship somehow managed to skip the process of acceleration, just like electron do?

Comment on: Why don't stable atoms constantly emit light?

Bigthink — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:04:06 +0100

Oh, so if I notice an electron here, then there, it need not have accelerated on it's journey, but simply popped out of existence here and popped into existence there? Do we really have to forgo continuity of motion to accept quantum mechanics? Say it ain't so!

Comment on: Why don't stable atoms constantly emit light?

Bigthink — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:51:51 +0100

Also, I think what you are getting at is possibly a very important notion that actually caused the Bohr model of the atom to be rejected. If a classical electron is orbiting a nucleus it is performing acceleration and therefor must be emitting radiation (known as Brehmstralung) and therefor would spiral into the nucleus. This clearly doesn't happen and was a major motivation for developing quantum theory.

Comment on: Why don't stable atoms constantly emit light?

Bigthink — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:47:53 +0100

When you observe a particle in a quantum state it's wave function collapses to the the eigenfunction corresponding to the eigenvalue of the energy you measured. If you observe an electron to have a certain energy and then continually measure it it will continue to have the same energy. Also a moving charge does not necessarily emit light, it must accelerate.

Comment on: Why don't stable atoms constantly emit light?

Bigthink — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:23:41 +0100

Not really, in order for light to be emitted a decent quantity of energy must be released. The only particular method an atom can emit energy in the form of light is when the atom's electrons, occupying energy levels to high for them, drop down an energy level and the access energy in the atom is then emitted as light.