A conceptual model is developed for the processes of photon emission and absorption. While the emission of light is well known in terms of quantum changes in energy levels of an electron, the fundamental physical processes are incompletely understood. How exactly does the photon emerge from the electron? How is light absorbed by matter? These foundational conceptual questions are the focus of this paper. We show that it is possible to develop new insights into this problem, based on the cordus model, which is a non-local hidden-variable solution. We start by predicting the structures of the photon and electron, both the internal geometric substructures, and their discrete fields. The model predicts that there are different mechanisms for the fields of the photon and electron, and uses this to explain the characteristics of the evanescent and electric fields. We then show how the bonding constraints arise on the electron, and how these require the electron to emit its excess energy. The process whereby a photon is created and separated out of the electron is identified. Photon emission and absorption thus result from an interaction between the discrete field elements and the internal structures. Emission is thus an escapement mechanism whereby matter particules that are overprescribed in position can get rid of that energy.
A conceptual model is developed for the processes of photon emission and absorption. While the emission of light is well known in terms of quantum changes in energy levels of an electron, the fundamental physical processes are incompletely understood. How exactly does the photon emerge from the electron? How is light absorbed by matter? These foundational conceptual questions are the focus of this paper. We show that it is possible to develop new insights into this problem, based on the cordus model, which is a non-local hidden-variable solution. We start by predicting the structures of the photon and electron, both the internal geometric substructures, and their discrete fields. The model predicts that there are different mechanisms for the fields of the photon and electron, and uses this to explain the characteristics of the evanescent and electric fields. We then show how the bonding constraints arise on the electron, and how these require the electron to emit its excess energy. The process whereby a photon is created and separated out of the electron is identified. Photon emission and absorption thus result from an interaction between the discrete field elements and the internal structures. Emission is thus an escapement mechanism whereby matter particules that are overprescribed in position can get rid of that energy.
Problem- There are deep unanswered questions about photon emission, specifically how the field structures of the photon emerge from the electron. While this problem cannot be answered from within quantum mechanics, due to its premise that particles are zero dimensional points, other theories of physics have better prospects. Purpose- A conceptual theory is developed for the processes of photon emission and absorption, in a non-local hidden-variable (NLHV) design called the Cordus theory. Approach- Logical inference is used to predict the structures of the discrete fields of the photon and electron under this framework. From this is extracted an explanation of how electron bonding constraints require the electron to emit its excess energy, and how the photon is created and emerges from the electron. Findings- Emission is found to be an escapement mechanism whereby matter particles that are over-prescribed in position can get rid of that energy, and the details of this are explained. The results show excellent qualitative agreement with classical electromagnetic wave theory and quantum mechanics, many conceptual features of which can be recovered. Originality- A novel conceptual theory is developed for the processes of photon emission and absorption. Particularly important here is the proposed causality whereby bonding constraints affect geometric span of the particule, which affects frequency. Hence this constrains the energy that the electron can contain, and explains why the emitted photon has a specific quantum of energy. A second contribution is the proposed differentiation between the discrete fields of the photon and electron. This yields an explanation for the exponential nature of the evanescent field, and recovery of the inverse radius squared relationship for the electro-magneto-gravitational fields. The theory also offers a physical interpretation of the fine structure constant α as a measure of the transmission efficacy of the fabric, i.e. α determines the relationship between the electric constant of the vacuum fabric, and the speed of propagation c through the fabric. There is further novelty in achieving this from the non-local hidden-variable sector of physics. Implications- Quantum mechanics originated with the observation that the movement of electrons between orbitals resulted in emission of photons with discrete quanta of energy. However it does not explain how the transitions occur. The original contribution here is showing that a solution does exist in NLHV physics. Assuming this is valid then the implications are that particles have internal structure and that quantum mechanics is merely a quantitative statistical summary of a deeper physics.
Problem-Energy conversion processes in optical phenomena are incompletely explained by wave theory or quantum mechanics. There is a need for ontologically rich explanations at the level of individual particles. Purpose: This paper reports on the application of a non-local hidden-variable solution called the Cordus theory to this problem. The method is directed to the systematic development of a conceptual framework of proposed causal mechanisms. Findings: It has long been known that the bonding commitments of the electron affect its energy behaviour but the mechanisms for this have been elusive. We show how the degree of bonding constraint on the electron determines how it processes excess energy. A key concept is that the span and frequency of the electron are inversely proportional. This explains why energy changes cause positional distress for the electron. Natural explanations are given for multiple emission phenomena: Absorbance; Saturation; Beer-Lambert law; Colour; Quantum energy states; Directional emission; Photoelectric effect; Emission of polarised photons from crystals; Refraction effects; Reflection; Transparency; Birefringence; Cherenkov radiation; Bremsstrahlung and Synchrotron radiation; Phase change at reflection; Force impulse at reflection and radiation pressure; Simulated emission (Laser). Originality: The paper elucidates a mechanism for how the electron responds to combinations of bonding constraint and pumped energy. The crucial insight is that the electron size and position(s) are coupled attributes of its frequency and energy, where the coupling is achieved via physical substructures. The theory is able to provide a logically coherent explanation for a wide variety of energy conversion phenomena.
Radiation can change the energy state of matter via three optical processes: spontaneous emission, absorption and stimulated emission. In spontaneous emission, an excited atomic or molecular state decays to a lower energy state with the emission of a photon of energy equal to the difference in the quantum state energies. Photon absorption is the reverse process, with a photon causing excitation from a lower to an excited quantum state. Stimulated emission was first proposed by Einstein in a paper published in 1917. He attempted to balance spontaneous emission and photon absorption, but could not get the correct balance without the postulated process of stimulated emission (see Section 4.2). With stimulated emission, an excited quantum state is stimulated to decay to a lower quantum state by an impinging photon. The existing photon survives with another identical photon being created (so that energy is conserved). The rates at which radiative transitions occur can be calculated using quantum mechanics. The time-dependent Schrodinger equation is used with the system wavefunction comprising time-varying linear combinations of the two wavefunctions for the lower and upper quantum states. In semi-classical treatments, an atom is treated quantum mechanically with the radiation field treated classically. There is a perturbation in energy associated with, say, the electric field of the radiation interacting with the electric dipole of the atom, though other interactions can be significant if the electric dipole interaction energy is small. In absorption, for example, a differential equation representing the change in ‘weighting’ of the wavefunction from the lower to upper state is obtained. A ‘time constant’ for the speed of change represents the rate of the radiative process. We examine the quantum mechanical nature of radiation absorption in Section 10.1 before discussing (Section 10.3) another important parameter arising with radiative transitions between discrete bound quantum states: the lineshape function. Quantum Theory of the Atom–Radiation Interaction An expression for the Einstein B-coefficient for photo-absorption is derived using quantum mechanics in this section. Einstein determined the detailed balance relationship between the rates of spontaneous emission, photo-absorption and stimulated emission when light interacts with an atom by considering an atomic system of two energy levels which are in equilibrium with a black-body radiation field. We use a semi-classical treatment where the atom is treated quantum mechanically and the radiation field is treated as a classical oscillating electric field.
This work presents a unified, physically grounded reinterpretation of light?matter interaction phenomena-absorption, emission, reflection, transmission, and extinction-through the framework of Augmented Newtonian Dynamics (AND). Departing from probabilistic and field-based quantum descriptions, AND theory proposes that photons are real, discrete entities interacting with electrons in matter via time-bound, mechanically governed processes. Electrons do not permanently absorb photons; rather, they engage in a rapid cycle of absorption followed by recoil and elastic re-emission, maintaining energy continuity and directional coherence. This mechanism accounts for the colour of objects, the transmission of light through transparent media, and its extinction in opaque substances where elastic passage is not feasible. Reflection is interpreted in keeping with classical laws, as the result of electron recoil occurring at specific angles, conserving momentum and preserving the incoming photon?s energy and frequency. Emission is not spontaneous or random but arises from well-defined energy exchanges, with recoil effects that obey Newtonian action?reaction principles. Finally, extinction is treated not as a loss of the photon per se, but as a redistribution of its energy into thermal motion via inelastic encounters. By aligning with core classical principles-conservation of energy, momentum, and quantized photon energy (E = h?)-this approach offers a consistent and intuitively accessible model of light behavior, eliminating the need for metaphysical constructs and reinforcing the explanatory power of classical physics extended by virtual photon dynamics.
It has been observed that every photon is, in a sense, virtual - being emitted and then sooner or later absorbed. As the motif of a quantum radiation state, the photon shares these characteristics of any virtual state: that it is not directly observable; and that it can signify only one of a number of indeterminable intermediates, between matter states that are directly measurable. Nonetheless, other traits of real and virtual behavior are usually quite clearly differentiable. How 'real', then, is the photon? To address this and related questions it is helpful to look in detail at the quantum description of light emission and absorption. A straightforward analysis of the dynamic electric field, based on quantum electro-dynamics, reveals not only the entanglement of energy transfer mechanisms usually regarded as 'radiative' and 'radiationless'; it also gives significant physical insights into several other electromagnetic topics. These include: the propagating and non-propagating character in electromagnetic fields; near-zone and wave-zone effects; transverse and longitudinal character; the effects of retardation, manifestations of quantum uncertainty and issues of photon spin. As a result it is possible to gain a clearer perspective on when, or whether, the terms 'real' and 'virtual' are helpful descriptors of the photon.
The investigation into how photons travel on atoms forms an essential aspect of understanding atomic and quantum physics. This study focuses on clarifying the fundamental principles that govern photon behaviour, including absorption, emission, scattering and quantum transitions. This research paper seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms by which photons interact and move through atomic structures. Understanding these processes is crucial as they underpin fundamental atomic interactions and the behavior of matter at its most basic level. Through a detailed exploration of both theoretical frameworks and experimental evidence, the study identifies that photon travel is fundamentally governed by quantum probability, discrete energy-level transitions, and the dynamic interaction between photons and atomic electrons, the paper aims to elucidate the processes governing photon movement. By leveraging insights from various scholarly sources, this research aspires to contribute significantly to the existing body of knowledge and provide thoughtful implications for future studies in the field. This study will benefit researchers, physicists, and students working in quantum physics and atomic science by deepening their understanding of photon-atom interactions.