[Phys-L] Oscillating electrons

[Ludwik Kowalski <kowalskil@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>]

On Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 I wrote:

> 2) The removed comment was based my belief that, unlike atoms,
> molecules, and more complex systems, individual electrons have no
> excited states. In my mind excitation energy of a particle is not the
> same as its kinetic energy in an external frame of reference. I did not
> know that "to excite an electron" can be used instead of "forcing it to
> oscillate." Yes, photon's energy is reduced when a free electron starts
> oscillating more energetically.

1) An electron has its own frame of reference; its origin coincides
with the position of that electron. Unlike an atom, or a molecule, a
point-like electron cannot be excited in its own frame of reference. In
other words the internal energy of an electron is always 511 keV. I
would prefer if the term excitation was always used in the context of
internal energy only.

2) I am thinking about a rapidly oscillating inner frame of reference
of an electron, in our laboratory frame. It serves no purpose, because,
as far as I know, an electron is not composed of parts that can be
found in different states of internal motion. The proper energy of 511
keV is the only possible state. It would be silly to say that 511 keV
is the ground state because the "system" that has no other states.

3) Yes, I know that an electron is always spinning and that only two
orientations of spin, with respect to something, are possible. But I do
not think that this conflicts with what I wrote above.

Ludwik Kowalski
Let the perfect not be the enemy of the good.
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