Radiation emission as a virtually exact realization of Heisenbergs microscope

Through the concept of ‘formation length’, recently observed directly in the radiation emission from ultrarelativistic electrons and an essential component in the interpretation of strong field radiation from electrons penetrating single crystals, we discuss the indeterminacy in the location of radiation emission. The analogy with the indeterminacy in the Heisenberg microscope Gedanken experiment is demonstrated from a number of viewpoints to be almost exact. The positive attitude regarding photon emission as a process that is somehow located in space and time is emphasized. We therefore interpret the measurements of formation lengths in radiation emission as a practically realizable version – using virtual incident photons instead of real – of the Heisenberg microscope Gedanken experiment.