Does a Photon Ever Die?
In short: When a photon is absorbed it ceases to exist, but its energy is conserved to an excellent approximation, passing to an electron or, in the eye, to a molecule whose change of shape begins the chemistry of sight.
A 2:02 short film in the series “Photon and Brain”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: MIT OpenCourseWare (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), course 22.105 Electromagnetic Interactions, Fall 2005, “d7404ad11cf6ab5f61fd08e32528469e_chap5.pdf”; Quantum Atlas, University of Maryland, “Photons”; Boston University Physics Department (PY106 course notes), “Electrons, photons, and the photo-electric effect”; Leon van Dommelen, Quantum Mechanics for Engineers (FAMU-FSU College of Engineering), “7.4 Conservation Laws in Emission”; Cornell University (ECE 407 lecture notes, Farhan Rana), “Microsoft PowerPoint - Chapter3.pptx”; Franz Muheim, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh (Nuclear and Particle Physics lecture notes), “LHC-Beauty”; Journal of Biological Chemistry (via PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine), “Chemistry and Biology of Vision”; Annual Review of Physiology (Annual Reviews); author manuscript hosted by PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine, “G Protein-Coupled Receptor Rhodopsin: A Prospectus”; BioEssays (journal article by Reingruber, Holcman and Fain), hosted on PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine, “How rods respond to single photons: Key adaptations of a G-protein cascade that enable vision at the physical limit of perception”; SERC (Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College) / ComPADRE Pedagogic Library, “Concept Questions for the Photoelectric Effect with Interactive Simulation”; arXiv (ar5iv rendering); paper by S. B. McKagan, W. Handley, K. K. Perkins and C. E. Wieman, University of Colorado Boulder / University of British Columbia, “A Research-Based Curriculum for Teaching the Photoelectric Effect”; Nature (Springer Nature); news article by Claire Ely, originally published by Scientific American, “Big Bang light reveals minimum lifetime of photons”; arXiv (Cornell University); paper by Julian Heeck, published in Physical Review Letters, “[1304.2821] How stable is the photon?”.
Sources used in this film
- MIT OpenCourseWare (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), course 22.105 Electromagnetic Interactions, Fall 2005 — d7404ad11cf6ab5f61fd08e32528469e_chap5.pdf · View →
- Quantum Atlas, University of Maryland — Photons · View →
- Boston University Physics Department (PY106 course notes) — Electrons, photons, and the photo-electric effect · View →
- Leon van Dommelen, Quantum Mechanics for Engineers (FAMU-FSU College of Engineering) — 7.4 Conservation Laws in Emission · View →
- Cornell University (ECE 407 lecture notes, Farhan Rana) — Microsoft PowerPoint - Chapter3.pptx · View →
- Franz Muheim, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh (Nuclear and Particle Physics lecture notes) — LHC-Beauty · View →
- Journal of Biological Chemistry (via PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine) — Chemistry and Biology of Vision · View →
- Annual Review of Physiology (Annual Reviews); author manuscript hosted by PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine — G Protein-Coupled Receptor Rhodopsin: A Prospectus · View →
- BioEssays (journal article by Reingruber, Holcman and Fain), hosted on PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine — How rods respond to single photons: Key adaptations of a G-protein cascade that enable vision at the physical limit of perception · View →
- SERC (Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College) / ComPADRE Pedagogic Library — Concept Questions for the Photoelectric Effect with Interactive Simulation · View →
- arXiv (ar5iv rendering); paper by S. B. McKagan, W. Handley, K. K. Perkins and C. E. Wieman, University of Colorado Boulder / University of British Columbia — A Research-Based Curriculum for Teaching the Photoelectric Effect · View →
- Nature (Springer Nature); news article by Claire Ely, originally published by Scientific American — Big Bang light reveals minimum lifetime of photons · View →
- arXiv (Cornell University); paper by Julian Heeck, published in Physical Review Letters — [1304.2821] How stable is the photon? · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: MIT OpenCourseWare (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), course 22.105 Electromagnetic Interactions, Fall 2005: d7404ad11cf6ab5f61fd08e32528469e_chap5.pdf
- Also: Quantum Atlas, University of Maryland: Photons
- Also: Boston University Physics Department (PY106 course notes): Electrons, photons, and the photo-electric effect
- Also: Leon van Dommelen, Quantum Mechanics for Engineers (FAMU-FSU College of Engineering): 7.4 Conservation Laws in Emission
- Also: Cornell University (ECE 407 lecture notes, Farhan Rana): Microsoft PowerPoint - Chapter3.pptx
- Also: Franz Muheim, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh (Nuclear and Particle Physics lecture notes): LHC-Beauty
- Also: Journal of Biological Chemistry (via PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine): Chemistry and Biology of Vision
- Also: Annual Review of Physiology (Annual Reviews); author manuscript hosted by PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medic: G Protein-Coupled Receptor Rhodopsin: A Prospectus
- Also: BioEssays (journal article by Reingruber, Holcman and Fain), hosted on PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine: How rods respond to single photons: Key adaptations of a G-protein cascade that enable vision at the physical limit of perception
- Also: SERC (Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College) / ComPADRE Pedagogic Library: Concept Questions for the Photoelectric Effect with Interactive Simulation
- Also: arXiv (ar5iv rendering); paper by S. B. McKagan, W. Handley, K. K. Perkins and C. E. Wieman, University of Colorado Boul: A Research-Based Curriculum for Teaching the Photoelectric Effect
- Also: Nature (Springer Nature); news article by Claire Ely, originally published by Scientific American: Big Bang light reveals minimum lifetime of photons
- Also: arXiv (Cornell University); paper by Julian Heeck, published in Physical Review Letters: [1304.2821] How stable is the photon?
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