First Picture of Light as Particle and Wave

[.spider.]

The researchers have captured, for the first time ever, a single snapshot of light behaving simultaneously as both a wave and a stream of particles.

I think that's really cool sadly I am not be able to summarize what they did to take the picture because I don't really understand it, but you can read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-03-particle.html#jCp

[Bsmith]

SO FREAKING AWESOME!!!

 

man i don't know what to say.. so here is some more junk from that page so that people get an idea of the article without clicking.

 

video explaining the experiment

http://phys.org/news/2015-03-particle.html#jCp

 

 

photo of the wave/particle duality.

[Trik'Stari]

Wait, when UV light hits metallic surfaces it causes an emission of electrons? Isn't that how certain metallic substances become radioactive?

 

Anyways, this is awesome. I wonder what will be learned from this and how it will be used.

[jcbiddulph]

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/321173-the-first-ever-photo-of-light-as-both-a-particle-and-wave/

[Sidiox]

Wait, when UV light hits metallic surfaces it causes an emission of electrons? Isn't that how certain metallic substances become radioactive?

Anyways, this is awesome. I wonder what will be learned from this and how it will be used.

lol no not all. Radioactivity is related to the nucleus. What putting a piece of metal in UV light is the same as putting iron in a microwave. Photovoltaic excitation. Very normal and not dangerous in terms of radioactivity

[Trik'Stari]

lol no not all. Radioactivity is related to the nucleus. What putting a piece of metal in UV light is the same as putting iron in a microwave. Photovoltaic excitation. Very normal and not dangerous in terms of radioactivity

I get that, I seem to remember though that when atoms gain an extra electron or lose an electron, they become ions of the original element, and aren't certain ions radioactive due to the imbalance of electrons in the rings and protons in the nuclei?

[LukaP]

I get that, I seem to remember though that when atoms gain an extra electron or lose an electron, they become ions of the original element, and aren't certain ions radioactive due to the imbalance of electrons in the rings and protons in the nuclei?

no. Radioactive decay is purely due to inherent instability of nuclei of bigger atoms. the only time electrons have anything to do with it is in a negative Beta decay, where the nucleus releases a beta particle, an electron https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Beta_decay

[Trik'Stari]

no. Radioactive decay is purely due to inherent instability of nuclei of bigger atoms. the only time electrons have anything to do with it is in a negative Beta decay, where the nucleus releases a beta particle, an electron https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Beta_decay

I guess I'm being confused by the wikipedia article on Ionizing Radiation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionizing_radiation which I thought could make other, normally non-radioactive materials, slightly radioactive (induced radiatioactivity? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_radioactivity ) mainly because it states "Gamma rays, X-rays, and the higher ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum are ionizing".

 

Although now I realize where it says "Neutron, alpha, and extremely energetic gamma radation can cause nuclear transmutation and induced radioactivity", it does not mention UV.

 

*insert "the more you know" meme here*

[LukaP]

I guess I'm being confused by the wikipedia article on Ionizing Radiation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionizing_radiation which I thought could make other, normally non-radioactive materials, slightly radioactive (induced radiatioactivity? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_radioactivity ) mainly because it states "Gamma rays, X-rays, and the higher ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum are ionizing".

Ionising radiation only ionises particles (eg knocks out an electron) and does not necessarily make them radioactive. You need a specific energy of the electromagnetic waves hitting the specific particle do induce radioactive alpha decay (in which an unstable particle reduces to a smaller particle and a helium atom). And even then its not a continuos decay due to that radiation. its merely due to the nature of alpha decay. 

 

Each particle has an average half time. it just happens that with alpha decay, those half times tend to get smaller with mass. So induced radiation means you accelerate that half time of a tiny particle, like a carbon or oxygen atom by hitting it with IR, making it lose an electron, disrupting the balance and then effectively decaying the core

[Trik'Stari]

Ionising radiation only ionises particles (eg knocks out an electron) and does not necessarily make them radioactive. You need a specific energy of the electromagnetic waves hitting the specific particle do induce radioactive alpha decay (in which an unstable particle reduces to a smaller particle and a helium atom). And even then its not a continuos decay due to that radiation. its merely due to the nature of alpha decay. 

 

Each particle has an average half time. it just happens that with alpha decay, those half times tend to get smaller with mass. So induced radiation means you accelerate that half time of a tiny particle, like a carbon or oxygen atom by hitting it with IR, making it lose an electron, disrupting the balance and then effectively decaying the core

so.... it means you're simply increasing the energy output of the smaller particle, and (as a result) reducing the amount of time of the energy output? *not a scientist, just fascinated by radioactivity*

[LukaP]

so.... it means you're simply increasing the energy output of the smaller particle, and (as a result) reducing the amount of time of the energy output? *not a scientist, just fascinated by radioactivity*

no idea what youre talking about here.

 

and dont be, it killed many before *cough* Marie Curie *cough*

[Trik'Stari]

no idea what youre talking about here.

 

and dont be, it killed many before *cough* Marie Curie *cough*

I just find it fascinating because it's so extremely deadly, yet you can't feel it killing you. as Periodic Videos would put it, I'm fascinated by "the boogie man".

 

Enough thread derail. What does seeing light as a particle and a wave do for science? I'm sure it's too soon to tell.

[LukaP]

I just find it fascinating because it's so extremely deadly, yet you can't feel it killing you. as Periodic Videos would put it, I'm fascinated by "the boogie man".

 

Enough thread derail. What does seeing light as a particle and a wave do for science? I'm sure it's too soon to tell.

No idea. Apart from having relativity stand another test of time, even though we clearly know its not a complete picture Its kinda sad

[zacRupnow]

This is very old news. - repost

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/321173-the-first-ever-photo-of-light-as-both-a-particle-and-wave/