We have already seen that sun light comes from preexisting mass during fusion processes on our Sun. Let’s examine some observations here on Earth.
Scientists know that electrons absorb photons. When this occurs, the electron moves to an outer orbit as it circles the proton. This is an unstable position, and the electron immediately ejects a photon of the same frequency or one of less frequency. In this scenario the electron is merely acting on a preexisting photon from some exogenous source.
Photons are also created when atoms are heated. Burning fires and electric light bulbs are good examples. In the case of a light bulb with a tungsten filament, the filament is raised to 2000 degrees centigrade, which causes it to emit light. This source of light is referred to as photon emission.
The light emitted when an atom is heated to a high temperature is specific for a specific atom. In practice, the photons emitted by a hot gas are examined in a spectroscope. This instrument records the frequency of the light given off by the gas. Each gas has its own spectral pattern. A few spectral examples were borrowed and slightly modified from Wikipedia.
The question is where do these photons come from? This is the subject of my next blog.
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