Can a photon be split into an electron and positron?

[eric2006]

I am sorry to ask this here and risk sounding like a fool. I just can't seem to google the answer anywhere. <br /><br />I had heard that an electron and positron meeting would result in annihilation and a gamma-ray.<br /><br />My question is can the process be reversed? Can a photon be seperated into an electron and positron pair? If so - how much energy would be required to do so?<br /><br />If you could split the photon and some how lose the positron or just keep it far enough away. Then maybe it is possible create a solar panel that uses this process for electricity???<br /><br />

 

[eric2006]

What do you think the efficiency of that process would be in generating electricity? There are a lot of easier ways to get electrons. There are an abundance of photons though. Would this work only on gamma-rays? Do you think U.V. would have too small a wave length?<br /><br />I'm thinking maybe one day we will be able to freeze photons in something like Bose-Einstein condensates. Then we could have portable photon batteries. Maybe generating electricity from photon splitting. That's my little tid-bit of science fiction for the day.<br /><br />Thanks for the response...

 

[vogon13]

At high velocities (gnat whisker short of c) a spacecraft will experience the oncoming cosmic background radiation photons as gamma rays.<br /><br />Probably not such a good thing.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[jatslo]

Anything with zero mass can pass through artificial gravity; however, if it is charged, then it can be reflected, or refracted, and the release of energy sublimate can be utilized as increased propulsion.

 

[vogon13]

And a spacecraft in this flight regime would experience the oncoming cosmic background radiation as a drag force.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[jatslo]

I wouldn't worry about a few Northern Lights; I would far more concerned with non-charged non zero masses. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[Saiph]

you may want to google "liquid light" odd stuff that researchers are doing with light.<br /><br />As for energy efficiency...pretty high. But you need to have very high energy photons. After that, it's really matter-antimatter annihalation or production. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[newtonian]

stevehw33 - you posted concerning photons temporarily FTL due to quantum effects.<br /><br />Do you consider this effect could have contributed to our universe's early FTL inflation stage?<br /><br />See my thread on what force drove inflation.<br /><br />You all - comments welcome.

 

[eric2006]

You are so right. I re-read the article. It seems that some "imprint" is left in the material. Also a second laser blast is required it "unfreeze" the light.