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Re: The Electron



At 10:38 PM 11/12/2003, Jack, you wrote:
///. Light of a fixed frequency "interacts" (is emitted and
absorbed) in discrete photons - parcels having definite energy-momentum.
The mistake often made is to try to assign a "length" to a photon.
Fourier tells us that this is impossible, since the photon has, by
definition, a definite frequency. As is usual in QM, care must be taken
not to mix incompatible attributes (such as position and momentum).

Taking Fourier at his word, we could advance the idea that something with a
fixed frequency would have an infinite length or duration - an unphysical
idea to be sure.... so that for a known detector position, the Heisenburg
idea to which Jack alludes, alerts us that the momentum, or what amounts
to the same, the frequency is indeed uncertain?

Brian Whatcott Altus OK Eureka!