Re: massless or massive photon?

On Jul 8, 9:11 am, "Juan R." González-Álvarez
<juanREM...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The usual argument for massless photons uses the Hamiltonian

H = (\sqrt (m^2c^4 + p^2c^2) ) (1)

and set (m = 0) to yield

H = pc

However, the original Hamiltonian (1) was derived using the Legendre
transformation

H = pv - L = (\sqrt (m^2c^4 + p^2c^2) )

If alternatively we start assuming (v = c) in the transformation, the
result is

H = pc - L = pc (2)

where no assumption was taken about the mass.

Is this Hamiltonian (2) representing some kind of massive photon (somewhat
as in Proca theory [#]) or is really the same that (1)?

[#]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proca_action

So you then have an imaginary mass that won't couple
to a real gravito-inertial field.

Now you just need an imaginary shape for the
pseudo-particle to massage the nasty radiation
patterns that we measure for real light into
a point.

http://www.rp-photonics.com/gaussian_beams.html



There is surely a "Nobel" or a knighthood in it
for you.

<<The Nobel Committee avoids committing itself
to the particle concept. Light-quanta or with
modern terminology, photons, were explicitly
mentioned in the reports on which the prize
decision rested only in connection with emission
and absorption processes. The Committee says
that the most important application of Einstein's
photoelectric law and also its most convincing
confirmation has come from the use Bohr made of
it in his theory of atoms, which explains a vast
amount of spectroscopic data. >>
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/articles/ekspong/index.html


<<"It must come sometimes to 'jam today,'" Alice objected.
"No, it can't" said the Queen. "It's jam any other day—today isn't any
other day, you know."
"I don't understand you," said Alice. "It's dreadfully confusing!"
"That's the effect of living backward," the Queen said kindly. "It
always makes one giddy at first—"
"Living backward!" Alice repeated in great astonishment. "I never
heard of such a thing!"
"—but there's one great advantage in it, that one's memory works both
ways."
"I'm sure mine only works one way," Alice remarked. "I can't remember
things before they happen."
"It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward," the Queen
remarked. >>
--Lewis Carroll


"Sir Juan" does have a nice ring to it.
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~david/images/doredonandwindmills.jpg

:o)

Sue...





--
Center for CANONICAL |SCIENCE) http://canonicalscience.org

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: massless or massive photon?
    ... the original Hamiltonian was derived using the Legendre ... If alternatively we start assuming in the transformation, ... the Lagrangian in the wiki link you've provided is a field ...
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  • Re: massless or massive photon?
    ... the original Hamiltonian was derived using the Legendre ... If alternatively we start assuming in the transformation, ... So you then have an imaginary mass that won't couple to a real ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: massless or massive photon?
    ... the original Hamiltonian was derived using the Legendre ... If alternatively we start assuming in the transformation, ... the Lagrangian in the wiki link you've provided is a field ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Physics and the human condition
    ... explicitly mentioned in the reports on which ... Committee says that the most important application ... << A Lorentz transformation or any other coordinate ... fields into mixtures of electric and magnetic fields, ...
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