On Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:51:40 -0800, Jim Kelley
wrote:

A photon encounters an electron in a radial and is
absorbed.

We know that electrons are inspired to move in a particular fashion
when they are irradiated. But how does a photon tell the electron
which way it should move? Kinematics would seem to have little to do
with this phenomenon.

And photon/electron interaction is not so indiscriminate (it doesn't
always interact in the first place).

Later, that same electron emits a photon.

A photon which, if the direction in which it is emitted is unknown,
can be made to create a diffraction pattern - implying that a wave was
emitted rather than a particle. Putting us right back where we started.

An electron does not always give rise to just one photon, or any
photon, or a photon of the same energy.

The photon cloud surrounding
a radial contains photons that came from that radial
and from everywhere else.

But what is it about this "cloud" that is actually cloud-like? Isn't
it really more like a wave of photons? :-)

Cloud indeed. This is like a sack of magic beans in exchange for a
cow.

Is this ill-discussion of photons the legacy of image theory? It is
like preening in front of a conjugate mirror.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC