Weblog
14 April 2015
John Sarkassian
Giant radio telescopes usually are not strong dishes, however fairly an open mesh. That is largely achieved to save lots of on weight, because the dish doesn’t have to be strong to replicate radio waves. You see the same factor on a microwave, the place the door is roofed with an open mesh so you may watch what’s cooking. The mesh blocks microwaves from reaching you, however not seen mild. However how is that doable? Aren’t photons purported to be level particles? Radio, microwaves are mild, so how does a mesh stop their photons from passing via it?
The quick reply is it’s difficult. Though photons are sometimes called particles, they aren’t particles within the conventional sense. They’re mild quanta, which have each particle and wave properties. Relying on the scenario, generally the particle side is beneficial, and generally the wave side is. Whereas photons don’t have a bodily diameter, and might be handled as level particles, their quantum habits offers them a probabilistic measurement. As a photon will get nearer to a different object, the prospect of it interacting turns into larger. That is usually represented as a cross part given when it comes to space.
J. H. Hubbell
You possibly can say the cross sectional space represents the “measurement” of a photon, however the issue with that is {that a} photon’s cross part varies relying on what it’s interacting with. Photons work together fairly strongly with electrons, and have a comparatively giant cross part, however with neutrons the interplay is smaller. Below this definition there is no such thing as a absolute “measurement” to a photon. The cross part additionally relies upon upon the power of the photon and issues like its polarization. There are additionally completely different cross sections for absorption vs scattering.
Regardless of all this complexity, there’s a primary strategy to speak concerning the efficient “measurement” of a photon, and that’s via its wavelength. Very roughly, the interplay vary of a photon scales with its wavelength, so mild of longer wavelength is extra prone to work together with a conductive materials than mild of a shorter wavelength. On this means you can say the “measurement” of photon is principally the width of its wavelength. The wavelength of inexperienced mild is about 500 nanometers, or two thousandths of a millimeter. The standard wavelength of a microwave oven is about 12 centimeters, which is bigger than a baseball.
It’s a bit odd to consider a microwave photon as being bigger than a baseball, however it’s a easy strategy to clarify how mesh reflectors work. The “measurement” of microwave and radio wave photons is just too giant to suit via the mesh, and so are mirrored. Seen mild is way smaller, so it simply passes via the mesh. It’s essential to not take this mannequin too actually, nevertheless it’s adequate for tough estimates.
And that’s concerning the measurement of it.
