Читать книгу Introduction to the Physics and Techniques of Remote Sensing - Jakob J. van Zyl - Страница 22

Maxwell’s formulation of electromagnetic radiation leads to a mathematically smooth wave motion of fields. However, at very short wavelengths, it fails to account for certain significant phenomena when the wave interacts with matter. In this case a quantum description is more appropriate.

The electromagnetic energy can be presented in a quantized form as bursts of radiation with a quantized radiant energy Q, which is proportional to the frequency ν:

(2.11)

where h = Planck’s constant = 6.626 × 10⁻³⁴ joule second. The radiant energy carried by the wave is not delivered to a receiver as if it is spread evenly over the wave, as Maxwell had visualized, but is delivered on a probabilistic basis. The probability that a wave train will make full delivery of its radiant energy at some place along the wave is proportional to the flux density of the wave at that place. If a very large number of wave trains are coexistent, then the overall average effect follows Maxwell’s equations.