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Re: Quantum question?



Jack Uretsky wrote:


The content of the uncertainty principle - in the language of
of a Fourier transform pair such as time and frequency is that a finite
range of frequencies can only give a signal that has limited "sharpness"
in time.

I see the connection between frequencies and time. As I told Leigh, I guess
I have to think about how time relates to spectral emission lines. I have a
hard time seeing how emission lines that are broad when measured through a
short time interval become sharp when measured over a long time interval.
Isn't each photon detected (by what ever detector you want to use) forced to
be detected over an incredibly short time interval. Can one detect a single
photon over a long time interval? In my mind I see a detector measuring the
frequencies of say 50 photons collected over a short period of time. The
results of that measurement would show a relatively wide range of frequencies
displaying an ill defined pattern. While a collection process that last
longer would collect perhaps millions of photons and show an overwhelming
tendency to produce certain frequencies within a narrow band. This longer
measurement process would not eliminate the photons that had been observed
outside of this narrow band, but would perhaps overwhelm them with the huge
numbers that were observed in the narrow band. Any comments and/or
clarifications would be appreciated.

Cliff Parker