arXiv subjects

Robert J. Buenker

Publications and source records attributed to Robert J. Buenker.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2009

Comparison of the Phenomena of Light Refraction and Gravitational Bending

The properties of light in the presence of electromagnetic and gravitational fields are compared. Once one takes account of the fact that clock rates vary with distance from a massive object, it is argued that in an absolute sense light frequencies remain constant in both interactions. It is also pointed out that the criterion used by Einstein for the angle of curvature of light rays passing close to the sun is not their actual trajectory but rather Huygens' Principle. The latter only requires that the speed of light vary with distance from a gravitational source in order to produce a measurable effect. As a result, the observed displacement of star images during solar eclipses can be explained on the basis of a rotation of the wave front of light without assuming that individual photons are actually deflected by the sun. A calculation reported by Schiff in 1960 based on the assumption that light travels in a straight line for all local observers obtains the same closed expression for the angle of displacement of star images as in Einstein's original work, in support of this interpretation. Since light is believed to follow a straight-line trajectory within any given homogeneous transparent medium, it is argued that light refraction and gravitational bending have more in common than is generally realized.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2006

Quantum Mechanical Relations for the Energy, Momentum and Velocity of Single Photons in Dispersive Media

Attempts to explain the refraction of light in dispersive media in terms of a photon or "corpuscular" model have heretofore been unable to account for the observed decrease in the speed of light as it passes from air into a region of higher refractive index n such as water or glass. In the present work it is argued on the basis of the quantum mechanical relations p = k and E = h omega that the energy of photons satisfies the equation E = pc/n. It is possible to obtain an exact prediction of the observed speed of the photons in a given medium by application of Hamilton's equations of motion to the above formula, but at the same time to conclude, in agreement with the arguments of Newton and other classical physicists, that the photon momentum increases in direct proportion to n, thereby producing the well-known bending of light rays toward the normal when entering water from air. The corresponding relativistic particle theory of light indicates that the potential V encountered by the photons in a given medium is attractive for n > 1 and is momentum-dependent, which suggests the microscopic interactions responsible for the refraction of light are non-Coulombic in nature and are instead akin to the spin-orbit and orbit-orbit terms in the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian for electrons moving in an external field. The present theory concludes that the reason photons are slowed down upon entering water from air is that their relativistic mass p/v increases faster with n than does their momentum, which in turn requires that Einstein's famous E = mc^2 formula does not hold for light dispersion because the energy of the photons is expected to be the same in both media.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2006

The Lorentz Transformation for Photons in Dispersive Media and in Gravitational Fields

It is pointed out that the traditional explanation for the observation of a non-zero energy h nu for light in free space does not apply for the analogous situation in dispersive media. Because the speed of light u is no longer equal to c in this case, the key quantity, gamma = (1-u2/c2)-0.5, is finite as a result. Since the rest energy of photons is believed to always be equal to zero, multiplying it with gamma in analogy to the usual procedure employed in the special theory of relativity (STR) does not produce a nonzero result for photons in dispersive media. The experimental evidence of the Fizeau light-drag and Cerenkov radiation phenomena indicate that the Lorentz transformation in free space is nonetheless valid for light in dispersive media. Instead, the energy and momentum of photons in transparent media can be obtained from observations of the frequency, wavelength and index of refraction of the light. A modification of the Lorentz transformation in which the observed speed of light does appear explicitly is required, however, in order to accurately predict the results of measurements made when the observer is at a different gravitational potential than the object.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2005

Exponentially Damped Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian for the Description of Positronium Decay and Other High-energy Processes

The conventional explanation for the 1.022 MeV decay of positronium in terms of the annihilation of an electron and its antiparticle is questioned because of the impossibility of proving experimentally that matter actually disappears. Recent work has provided evidence that photons are not destroyed in radiative absorption, for example, but rather attain an undetectable (E=h(nu)=0) state. Questioning the creation-annihilation hypothesis in the case of positronium decay leads to the construction of an exponentially damped Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian which when employed in a Schroedinger equation gives an e+e- ground state with a binding energy of 1.022 MeV. The analogous treatment does not produce any (unobserved) states of similarly low energy for the hydrogen atom, but by virtue of a simple scaling theorem it does lead to a maximal proton-antiproton binding energy of 1.876 GeV, which is exactly mp/me times larger than for e+e-. Arguments are presented to identify the resulting tightly bound e+ e- system with the photon itself, since both are ascribed a zero rest mass. The above Hamiltonian is identified with the unified electroweak interaction, especially since it also proves applicable to the description of neutrino processes. It is pointed out that the analogous (nu)(bar nu) binary systems would be subject to predissociation into free neutrinos and antineutrinos, however, unlike their much more strongly bound e+ e- and p+ p- counterparts. This observation suggests a different explanation for the well-known solar neutrino problem than the flavor-oscillation theory which has been proposed earlier.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2005

Use of time-correlated single photon counting detection to measure the speed of light in water

Traditional methods for measuring the speed of light in dispersive media have been based on the detection of interference between light waves emitted from the same source. In the present study the elapsed times for single photons to move from a laser to a photomultiplier tube are measured electronically. Time-correlated single photon counting detection produces a characteristic instrument response which has the same shape independent of both the path length the light travels and the nature of the transparent media through which it passes. This allows for an accurate calibration of the chronograph by observing shifts in the location of the instrument response for different distances traveled by the light. Measurement of the corresponding shift which occurs when light moves the same distance through air and water then enables an accurate determination of the ratio of the photon velocities in these two media. Three different wavelengths of light have been used. In two cases good agreement is found between the present measured light speeds and those which can be inferred from existing refractive index measurements in water. The shortest wavelength studied is too far in the uv to obtain a reliable estimate on the same basis, and so the ng value (1.463) measured in the present work awaits independent confirmation. A theoretical discussion of the present results is undertaken with reference to Newton's original corpuscular theory of light. It is argued that his failure to predict that light travels more slowly in water than in air arose from the inadequacy of his mechanical theory rather than his assumptions about the elementary composition of light.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2005

Evidence from the Special Relativity and Blackbody Radiation Theories for the Existence of Photons Possessing Zero Kinetic Energy

The traditional interpretation of radiative emission and absorption asserts that photons are created and annihilated in such processes. A Gedanken experiment is considered in which kinetic energy from observed photons is systematically removed until a limit of zero is reached. With the help of the relativistic Doppler effect it is shown that even for infinitesimally small kinetic energies the photons continue to exist, since in other inertial systems they will be observed to have a much higher energy/frequency falling in an easily detectable range. It is possible to formulate an alternative explanation for absorption and emission processes on this basis in terms of real photons with exactly zero kinetic energy being present before or after radiative interactions. Bolstering this hypothesis is the fact that the statistical mechanical treatment of photons interacting with oscillators in blackbody radiation theory predicts an infinite density of photons of this energy, both in the original Planck formulation employing Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics and in the subsequent Bose-Einstein description. These considerations demonstrate that the E = 0 state is greatly preferred as the product of absorption because of the requirement to have the interaction occur in a relatively narrow region of space- time. There is thus strong evidence that photons are not created and annihilated in radiative processes but simply have their kinetic energy changed either to or from a zero value. Accordingly a very high density of zero-energy photons is expected to exist uniformly throughout the universe. Finally, this development suggests that one should subject the creation-annihilation hypothesis to careful scrutiny in other areas of physics as well.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2004

The Lorentz Transformation Sign Ambiguity and Its Relation to Measured Faster-than-c Photon Speeds

It is shown that time intervals Delta t' measured for photons moving with speed v > c can be of the same sign for all observers according to special relativity, thereby avoiding any violation of Einstein causality. Previous assertions to the contrary have led to unnecessarily complicated interpretations of experiments which indicate that single photons do travel with faster-than-c speeds in regions of anomalous dispersion

physics.hist-ph↗

arXiv2004

Use of Hamilton's canonical equations to rectify Newton's corpuscular theory of light: A missed opportunity

The erroneous prediction of the speed of light in dispersive media has been looked upon historically as unequivocal proof that Newton's corpuscular theory is incorrect. Examination of his arguments shows that they were only directly applicable to the momentum of photons, however, leaving open the possibility that the cause of his mistake was the unavailability of a suitable mechanical theory to enable a correct light speed prediction, rather than his use of a particle model. It is shown that Hamilton's canonical equations of motion remove Newton's error quantitatively, and also lead to the most basic formulas of quantum mechanics without reference to any of the pioneering experiments of the late nineteenth century. An alternative formulation of the wave-particle duality principle is then suggested which allows the phenomena of interference and diffraction to be understood in terms of statistical distributions of large populations of photons or other particles.

physics.hist-ph↗