An electron can emit a real photon, which can be absorbed by another electron. Thus two electrons can exchange a real photon. However, when two electrons repulse, the math of their interactions is described by a virtual photon. Thus it seems that two electrons can exchange either a real or virtual photon (at least conceptually). What conditions define whether the photon that two electrons exchanged was real or virtual?
Answer
An electron can emit a real photon,
Real photon means it can be measured/detected. For example in this single photon at a time experiment, the dots are measured photons, and the photons are real.
which can be absorbed by another electron.
Electrons do not absorb photons. They interact with photons. For example in Compton scattering:
A photon interacts with the electron, the electron becomes off shell because it absorbs part of the four momentum of the incoming photon and a lower energy photon leaves.
Thus two electrons can exchange a real photon.
Wrong . If the second photon hits another electron, the process will be repeated. It is not an exchange but a scattering.
No comments:
Post a Comment