Question about electrons

[CWingfield]

As I understand it, an electron is hard to get a good read on because it is appearing/disappering very quickly and also appears to be jumping orbits indiscriminately.

 

I was wondering if there was any possibility that electrons could be in stationary orbits around a nucleus, which acting something like our sun, was throwing out flares in all directions. Once these flares hit an orbiting electron it would briefly "light it up" (something like an aurora borealis, for lack of a better example) allowing us to see/read the electron for the brief time it was "lit up".

 

Now I am more than likely misunderstanding how an electron/nucleus interact, as well as seeing patterns where they don't exist. However, the notion did strike me and I was curious to know more about the possibilities.

[swansont]

As I understand it, an electron is hard to get a good read on because it is appearing/disappering very quickly and also appears to be jumping orbits indiscriminately.

 

I was wondering if there was any possibility that electrons could be in stationary orbits around a nucleus, which acting something like our sun, was throwing out flares in all directions. Once these flares hit an orbiting electron it would briefly "light it up" (something like an aurora borealis, for lack of a better example) allowing us to see/read the electron for the brief time it was "lit up".

 

Now I am more than likely misunderstanding how an electron/nucleus interact, as well as seeing patterns where they don't exist. However, the notion did strike me and I was curious to know more about the possibilities.

 

 

Most electrons in atoms are in stationary state orbitals, with a well-defined energy. No jumping of states unless you add the right amount of energy, e.g. with a photon of the appropriate frequency. However these orbitals are not classical, planet-like orbits. They do not have a well-defined trajectory.