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From: ajs@hpfcla.UUCP (ajs)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Limit to the frequency of light?
Message-ID: <19900003@hpfcla.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-May-85 00:52:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpfcla.19900003
Posted: Mon May 27 00:52:00 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Jun-85 07:37:09 EDT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 24
Nf-ID: #N:hpfcla:19900003:000:1301
Nf-From: hpfcla!ajs    May 26 20:52:00 1985

We hear about (and deal with) electromagnetic waves from radio to micro,
to infra-red, to visible, to X-ray, to gamma.  But what about beyond?

Silly question:  Is there any limit to the energy a single photon can
carry, i.e. to its frequency, or the shortness of its wavelength?

My silly guess:  Yes, at least in practice, because of quantum mechanics
and uncertainty.  When the wavelength is short enough, the interaction
with a charged particle (electron) causes vibrations of such small
amplitude (or short duration?) that they aren't really there at all.
Or maybe, conversely, the photon has so much energy that it wants the
charged particle to oscillate so fast with such a large amplitude that
it would exceed the speed of light.  End of silly guess.

If there is no limit, whaddya call the waves more energetic than gamma
waves?  "High energy gamma waves?"

OK, now let's see some amusing discussion, hopefully more informal than
technical.  A thousand pardons if this has been discussed before and I
missed it.  A thousand curses to anyone who copies this whole posting
into the front of their response, instead of just the second paragraph!

Alan Silverstein, Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Systems Division, Colorado
{ihnp4 | hplabs}!hpfcla!ajs, 303-226-3800 x3053, N 40 31'31" W 105 00'43"