The nature of the photon and the electron

J. G. Williamson

doi:10.1117/12.2188259

10 September 2015 The nature of the photon and the electron

J. G. Williamson

Proceedings Volume 9570, The Nature of Light: What are Photons? VI; 957015 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2188259
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

A new theory, describing both light and material particles, is proposed. The experimentally-observed nature of space and time are brought into the theory at the most fundamental level. An equation encompassing the usual free-space Maxwell equations but similar in form to the Dirac equation is proposed. This equation has new kinds of solutions. Propagating, pure-field solutions may have any energy, but the energy transferred must be proportional to the frequency. These are identified with the physical photon. Solutions with a rest-mass term allow any incoming propagating field to merge into re-circulating vortex-like solutions. The minimum energy configuration "rectifies" the oscillating electric field of light into a uni-directional, radial (inward or outward directed) configuration. The resulting apparent external charge may be readily estimated and is found to be of the order of the elementary charge. The spin may, likewise, be calculated, and is found to be half integral, exhibiting a double-covering internal symmetry. Charge is then not a fundamental quantity in the theory - but is a result of the way field folds from a rest-massless bosonic to a rest-massive fermionic configuration. The simplest such charged, fermionic particles are identified with the electron and positron.

Citation Download Citation

J. G. Williamson "The nature of the photon and the electron", Proc. SPIE 9570, The Nature of Light: What are Photons? VI, 957015 (10 September 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2188259

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