How much kinetic energy is needed to have a atom emit a photon?

Subject: How much kinetic energy is needed to have a atom emit a photon?

Date: Tue May 22 11:10:46 2007
Posted by Bob Jensen
Grade level: undergrad School: No school entered.
City: No city entered. State/Province: No state entered. Country: UK
Area of science: Physics
ID: 1179857446.Ph

Message:


I was wondering if you take an atom  that is a ion (cation or anion) 
and accelerate it in a Betatron/cyclotron/etc, how fast and how much kinetic 
energy does it have to go before it emits a photon (say the circle is 1 or 2 
feet diameter)? Also after it emits the photon what happens? Does it transfer 
the energy and then speed back up to emit another photon in a cycle or 
constantly emit photons?

Re: How much kinetic energy is needed to have a atom emit a photon?

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