Earth and Space

Ancient photons

Stories from Physics for 11-14 14-16 IOP RESOURCES

It typically takes around 500,000 years for a photon to be emitted from the solar interior. The interior of the Sun consists of high-density plasma which absorbs and re-emits photons as they travel. A photon would travel only 10 -4 m before being absorbed and then re-emitted in a random direction. On average, it will have to make 49 x 10 24 steps in order to be emitted.

References

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