Re: photon emission or absorbtion and time

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@HEP.ANL.GOV>]

        The width of a line measures the "transition time" (among other
things).  It is a well-studied topic.
                        Regards,
                                Jack


Adam was by constitution and proclivity a scientist; I was the same, and
we loved to call ourselves by that great name...Our first memorable
scientific discovery was the law that water and like fluids run downhill,
not up.
                          Mark Twain, <Extract from Eve's Autobiography>

On Thu, 11 May 2000, GARY HEMMINGER wrote:

> We say that a photon is emitted as an electron "falls" to a lower
> energy level.  To my knowledge quantum theory says nothing
> about a duration of time for this transition.  Likewise with photon
> absorbtion.  Has anyone addressed this question?
>
> *****************************************
>   Gary Hemminger
>   Dwight-Engelwood School
>   315 E. Palisade Ave.
>   Englewood, New Jersey
>              07631
>   e-mail: hemmig@d-e.org
> *******************************************