[General] Photon Structure

[John Macken]

Andrew, Richard, Chip and John D.

 

The discussion has turned to whether photons possess discrete packages of
energy or are quantized waves with no concentration of energy in a small
volume.  My position is:  Photons are quantized waves propagating in the
quantum mechanical vacuum energy of spacetime.  

 

This is too big a subject to be covered in one post, so I will lay out the
background information in this post, then build on this in other posts.  To
explain my position I will first quote from my paper titled Energetic
Spacetime: The New Aether. 

 

“Photons are usually described as possessing “wave-particle duality”.
However, this phrase is just a name given to something that we do not
understand. The essence of a wave is that it is an oscillating disturbance
with a definable wavelength and distributed over a substantial volume. A
wave transfers liner momentum and some waves are capable of transferring
angular momentum. Any wave disturbs the medium through which it is
propagating such that energy is being converted between different forms. 

 

The essence of a particle is that it is a single unit that differs from its
surroundings. A fundamental particle is usually assumed to be energy
concentrated at a point with no internal structure. A point particle or
even a Planck length vibrating string is incapable of possessing ħ of
angular momentum as a conceptually understandable physical rotation. The
implied infinite energy density of a point particle also defies a physical
explanation. Saying a photon has “wave-particle duality” is like saying
that it has “top-bottom duality”. These are contradictory properties
which cannot be equal partners. A photon must either be a particle that
somehow exhibits wave properties or a wave that is somehow quantized so
that it exhibits particle properties.” 

 

Skipping forward in this paper, the question of quantization is addressed.
This is an important concept because a wave can appear to have particle-
like properties if the wave is quantized.  The following is a section
titled “Strong Quantization” from the paper Energetic Spacetime: The New
Aether.

 

“It is often said that photons possess quantized energy of E = ħω.
However, we will examine the limits of this quantization.  Suppose that we
make an analogy to the equivalence principle having a “strong” and a
“weak” definition. Similarly, the proposal is made that there is a
“strong” and “weak” definition of quantization. A strong definition of
quantization would imply that only integer multiples of the fundamental
unit are allowed. For example, if energy met the strong definition of
quantization, then energy would only came in discrete units such as integer
multiples of 1 eV. Photons would only come in discrete frequencies which
would be integer multiples of the universal fundamental frequency
associated with the universal unit of quantized energy. Obviously energy
and frequency are not quantized according to the “strong” definition.
Instead, a photon’s energy is only weakly quantized. All of a photon’s
energy is transferred when it is absorbed, but a photon can possess any
energy up to Planck energy. The same photon has different energy when
viewed from different frames of reference.

 

Compare this to angular momentum which meets the definition of strong
quantization. Angular momentum only comes in discrete units. All angular
momentum in the universe only comes in integer multiples of ½ ħ. This is
obvious with fermions and bosons, but a more revealing example can be made
using a carbon monoxide molecule (CO) isolated in a vacuum. An isolated CO
molecule can only possess integer multiples of ħ angular momentum. This
translates into the CO molecule only being able to rotate at discrete
frequencies which are integer multiples of its fundamental rotational
frequency of 115 GHz. This meets the definition of strong quantization. For
another example, take a photon that is part of the cosmic microwave
background.  Over the age of the universe this photon has lost most of its
energy. However, the photon has kept 100% of its angular momentum. Angular
momentum has strong quantization; energy has weak quantization. 

 

It is proposed that all quantization in the universe is ultimately
traceable to angular momentum being strongly quantized. When a photon is
absorbed by an atom, it transfers 100% of its angular momentum to the atom.
All the photon’s energy is also transferred to the atom, but that is just
a byproduct of transferring its ħ unit of quantized angular momentum. The
amount of energy transferred from the photon to the atom depends on the
frame of reference of the atom. However, the angular momentum transferred
is independent of the frame of reference.”

 

In future posts I will develop this idea and show that the particle-like
properties of a photon can be explained by a wave that possesses quantized
angular momentum.  

 

John M. 

 

 

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