Darmstadt 2008 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 23: Photonik II

Q 23.6: Talk

Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 17:45–18:00, 2B/C

A model for the photon — •Karl Otto Greulich — Fritz Lipmann Institute Jena Beutenbergstr. 11 07745 Jena

Hundred years of research into the photon have not resulted in a model beyond the photon being the result of field quantisation. Quantum mechanics has no suitable operator to describe space details, quantum electrodynamics is inherently non relativistic. Here, a semi classical model is presented, which correctly predicts that E = h * v, that the space requirements are governed by the wavelength and that the spin is h / 2pi. Also, the cross section of electron / positron pair production is predicted. The model is based on an LC oscillator and therefore requires formal / virtual charged matter as oscillating entity. The amomunt of charge required is, in a wavelength independent manner, the 1 / square root of alpha times the elementary charge. This at a first glance surprising result is supported by quantum electrodynamics, since 1 / square root of alpha is the inverse coupling constant, which can be interpreted as the probability of an electron to emit a photon. The fine structure constant alpha itself can then be interpreted as the inverse square of the formal number of elementary charges required to quantitatively describe a photon. Ref: K.O. Greulich in: The nature of light : what are photons R.Roychoudhuri et al eds. 2007 SPIE Vol 66640B, 1