Electron Photoemission

Essay: "Why an Electron Cannot Emit a Photon."

Here are seven on-line examples that either state or imply that an atom's electron
emits a photon in the process of light emission. External links: exmp.1 exmp.2
exmp.3 exmp.4 (scroll down) exmp.5 (scroll down) exmp.6. exmp. 7 (This
example 7 website does provide nice demonstration and simple explanation of
DeBroglie waves.)

In this current essay, we will propose this concept of an electron emitting a photon is
incorrect; and that it is impossible for an electron to emit a photon within the optical
energy range.

Our argument is very simple:

If an electron is to emit a photon it must first absorb a quanta of light (a photon)
equal to the energy of the emitted photon. Such an absorption incident would
increase the mass of the electron by approximately 0.00039%. This mass increase is
above the discrepancy of 0.00001% allowed by standard uncertainty. Hence, if an
electron is an elementary particle--defined by its mass; and if it is to remain an
electron throughout the process of light emission from an atom, it cannot absorb a
photon. And if an electron cannot absorb a photon, it, most likely, does not emit one.

Me=9.10938188 x 10^-31Kg,

Light Emission--
appendix 1

<<Mass equivalent value of a photon of 2eV.

This is an arbitrary, mean value falling within the visible
light energy range of 1.5eV to 3.5eV. (Though this does
not represent a specific real photon energy...it is used for
convenience and represents a reasonable average.)

The standard energy to mass conversion factor is

1eV/c^2=1.783 x 10^-36Kg. So we just multiplied that
mass value by 2 to get 3.556 x 10^-36Kg. This gives us
our average mass equivalent for an optical photon.

We simply add the two mass values above to find the mass of an electron--if it
were to actually absorb an average photon of visible light. In order to add,
3.556x10^-36Kg becomes 0.00003556x10^-31Kg.

9.10938188 x 10^-31Kg.

0.00003556 x 10^-31Kg.

9.10941744 x 10^-31Kg.

<<This would be the mass of an electron if it absorbed a
photon of light of 2eV. This is a mass increase of 0.00039%;
well above the allowable 0.00001% discrepancy.

[1eV/c^2=1.783 x 10^-36Kg.]

<<Standard 'energy<--->mass' equivalence.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_volt

We will further suggest that an electron (whatever its physical consistency)
exists and continues to exist throughout the entire process of light emission.
If not, we would witness frequent energy release from the atom of about
0.510 998 918MeV (the energy equivalent of electron rest mass) during the
process. Such bursts of energy, of course, are not observed.

If the reasoning above is valid; and if the arithmetic is correct; and if no
relativistic or other physical effects have been overlooked, we have cause to
dismiss the idea that an electron absorbs and/or emits a photon.

<<Measured rest mass of an electron.

Electron mass is well defined to within a discrepancy of
0.00001%. The "standard uncertainty" is 0.000016x10^31Kg.
http://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/cuu/Value?me

"All of modern physics is governed by that magnificent and thoroughly confusing
discipline called quantum mechanics....It has survived all tests and there is no
reason to believe that there is any flaw in it....We all know how to use it and how to
apply it to problems; and so we have learned to live with the fact that nobody can
understand it." --Murray Gell-Mann