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Where does photons come from and disappear to? Can photons be destroyed and created? Without atoms would photons exist? What other ways then from atoms can photons be made?

Muze
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    Yes, photons can be "destroyed" and created. – Danu Jan 31 '16 at 11:44
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    This one might help a bit: http://physics.stackexchange.com/q/168684/ – Hritik Narayan Jan 31 '16 at 11:45
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    Reasonable question. An unusual answer see here http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/168684/where-do-photons-go-when-they-are-absorbed/168785#168785 . Unfortunately it is without any criticism downvoted so it is not possible to see, what is wrong. – HolgerFiedler Jan 31 '16 at 12:08
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    @HolgerFiedler The problem with that answer is that we already have a quantum theory of radiation that has been verified to an enormous degree of precision ... perhaps (and arguably) standing with special relativity as the top two best-tested theories. Your ideas don't improve on what we already have. – garyp Jan 31 '16 at 16:03
  • @garyp Thanks for answering. Please, could you read chapter about proton-electron-interaction in atoms? This is really new and give an explanation about electron "orbitals". Let us chat? – HolgerFiedler Jan 31 '16 at 17:08
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    In the case of the comment above "unusual" means "not even wrong". – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten Jan 31 '16 at 17:13
  • @Danu could you help in restructuring my question so I can reopen it? – Muze Mar 30 '16 at 18:42
  • @HolgerFiedler could you help in restructuring my question so I can reopen it? – Muze Mar 30 '16 at 18:42
  • @HritikNarayan could you help in restructuring my question so I can reopen it? – Muze Mar 30 '16 at 18:42
  • @garyp could you help in restructuring my question so I can reopen it? – Muze Mar 30 '16 at 18:43
  • @Jen why do you want to reopen it? – Mitchell Porter Mar 31 '16 at 00:29
  • @MitchellPorter because to broad is not the case. How many ways can photons be made? – Muze Mar 31 '16 at 02:23
  • Someone took the time to answer it other than me. – Muze Mar 31 '16 at 02:23
  • OK... "How many ways can photons be made?" Any charged particle can emit or absorb a photon. – Mitchell Porter Mar 31 '16 at 06:39

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Photons mediate the electromagnetic force. Atoms are not necessary for photons to exist. You just need charged particles (electrons, protons, etc) to interact with each other from a distance.

There are many ways for a photon to be created and destroyed. Depending upon its wavelength, as it propagates in free space , it could "disappear" and a pair electron-positron could be created in its place. An atom could absorb it, and if it is part of a solid, it could couple its excited energy to a phonon and then create heat.

JQK
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