English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

Maybe you Can Direct me to an Answer (Hopefully Very Very Elementary). I Have Wondered [this] for Many Years, if Light From [a Source] Was Positively Doppler Shifted [(Blue Shifted)], Where Does this Extra Energy Come From?

Is There Some Simple Expaination that I Have Overlooked?

2006-08-29 11:36:22 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics Physics

Not an Acceleration, a Velocity.

2006-08-29 11:54:02 · update #1

4 answers

There is no increase in energy.

Imagine a stationary object emitting a burst of red light. That burst will contain an amount of energy that is spread over the period of the pulse. We will be able to measure a certain power density in the wave front as it passes us.

Now imagine the same pulse emitted from the object as it moves towards us. The light will be shifted towards the blue. The pulse
will be emitted for the same period of time but, because the object is closer to us when the pulse stops than when it started the pulse will appear shorter to us. So, we have a pulse of light shifted towards the blue, we will measure a higher power in the wavefront as it passes us, but the pulse is shorter. The overall energy content of the pulse will remain the same.

2006-08-29 11:53:25 · answer #1 · answered by Stewart H 4 · 1 0

Yes, there is a very simple explanation. Energy and momentum are measured relative to an observer. The "extra energy" comes from the relative motion of the source and the receiver. If I run toward a water wave, the wave hits me harder than if I were standing still or receding from its source. The same holds true for a light wave. Even though you can't add to its apparent speed, you can change its apparent momentum, and therefore its energy.

2006-08-29 18:58:54 · answer #2 · answered by Benjamin N 4 · 0 0

Light is blue shifted when it accelorates, or apears to. When the electromag waves get 'bunched up' on each other.
Whatever is causing the acceloration gives it the energy. It could be that you are moving toward the oncoming light, therefore your motion is providing the energy.

2006-08-29 18:42:46 · answer #3 · answered by Fulltime in my RV (I wish) 3 · 0 0

Wow.

You use an excessive amount of capitalization, brackets, and parenthesis in your question. That makes it very hard to read!

2006-08-29 19:05:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

fedest.com, questions and answers