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If the Speed of Light is Constant, Then Light is a Wave

Constantinos Ragazas

Published Mar 1, 2011• 1 citation
OpenAlex

Abstract

In this short note we mathematically prove that if we assume that the speed of light is constant, then light propagates as a wave. Introduction: In another paper, What is the Matter With De Broglie Waves? we derived the De Broglie equations for 'wavelength' λ and 'frequency' ν using the 'prime physis' quantity η and the definitions of energy, E t η ∂ = ∂ and momentum x p x η ∂ = ∂ in terms of η . We showed that,

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Newton’s Theory of Light and Wave-Particle Duality

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In this article, it is shown that if a particle is at rest and has some harmonic oscillation, then a traveling particle with a constant speed corresponds to a De Broglie Wave.In 1924, De Broglie proposed that particles of matter exhibit wave like behavior, the expression for which became fundamental in the creation of wave mechanics (quantum mechanics).The main equation for this is the Schrödinger equation, which in the case of free motion of a particle becomes the expression for the De Broglie wave.This hypothesis is supported by many early experiments on the diffraction of electrons, and later the development of modern physics.However until now, the origin of this hypothesis remains unclear.We show that the expression for the De Broglie wavelength can be obtained from a more general well-known concept, that any particle at rest has a corresponding harmonic oscillation that transforms into a wave of a moving particle with the help of relativistic change of coordinates (the Lorentz transformations).In this way, a De Broglie wave can be explained as a spacetime wave.

OALib•Jan 1, 2022•1 citation
In this short note we mathematically prove that if we assume that the speed of light is constant, then light propagates as a wave. Introduction: In another paper, What is the Matter With De Broglie Waves? we derived the De Broglie equations for 'wavelength' λ and 'frequency' ν using the 'prime physis' quantity η and the definitions of energy, E t η ∂ = ∂ and momentum x p x η ∂ = ∂ in terms of η . We showed that,
In this paper we demonstrate duality between matter and light. Through mathematical derivation we show that every fundamental matter particle with non-zero rest mass can be represented by a pair of photons. The photons in the representation are not normal photons but a special kind of continuously generating and annihilating virtual photons, whose wave functions super impose to give the wave function of the non-zero rest mass particle and the representation is in agreement with the spin of the particle. We use this duality to derive De Broglie wavelength. We show that a moving matter wave has two frequency components, one of it is with De-Broglie wavelength h/P and the other one is with wavelength hc/E. We also correct the De-Broglie wavelength for v = 0 where we show that there is only one frequency component for v = 0 with wavelength hc/E. Later in the paper we derive that every photon can be represented by a non-zero rest mass particle pair, one going below the speed of light and the other going above the speed of light.
The long history of the dispute among physicists as to whether matter is composed of particles or waves is reviewed. A turning point came at the dawn of the 20th century in the form of the de Broglie momentum-wavelength and Bohr/Planck energy frequency relations. It was on this basis that Schrödinger developed a quantum mechanical differential equation whose solution came to be known as a wave function. The Born Interpretation of these functions holds that their absolute square constitutes a probability distribution which has been used successfully to make predictions of the properties of the system under discussion. It is pointed out that the phenomenon of light refraction played a key role in the development of both Newton’s corpuscular theory of light and the competing theory of Huygens which looks upon light as consisting exclusively of waves. It is shown that Newton’s failure to predict the decrease in the speed of light as it passes from air into water was not because of his belief in the particle composition of light, but rather because he not did anticipate that the mass of a photon changes upon entering a medium of higher index of refraction n. By assuming that the energy E of light is equal pc/n, where p is the momentum of the photons and c is the speed of light in free space, it is shown that the experimental dependence of the speed the light on its wavelength as it passes through a transparent medium is derived successfully through the use of Hamilton’s Canonical Equations and Newton’s Second Law of Kinetics. It is suggested that the relationship between particles and waves can be understood by noting that the localized properties of matter exhibit themselves in experiments such as the photoelectric effect where attention can be concentrated on the behavior of a single particle. The corresponding wave properties occur when large numbers of particles are observed under exactly similar circumstances, as for example in electron diffraction. ...........
Louis-Victor de Broglie secured his place in the history of quantum physics by proposing the existence of matter waves. Following the concept accepted early in the twentieth century that light waves could display properties characteristic of particles (photons), de Broglie suggested the complementary principle that particles could display properties characteristic of waves. Within a few years, this far-reaching proposal was experimentally verified. The well-known formula for the wavelength λ of the wave associated with a particle of momentum p, namely λ=h/p, does not appear in de Broglie’s original paper, which was published in this journal in 1924. What is derived from the starting assumption that the frequency of the wave is the rest energy of the particle divided by Planck’s constant h, is the wave's velocity, which turns out to be c2/v, where v is the particle’s velocity. This velocity, being superluminal, means that the wave cannot transport energy. De Broglie called it a phase wave and postulated a group of such waves having virtually, but not exactly, the same velocity and wavelength. The group velocity of such a large number of almost identical phase waves is then shown, very satisfactorily, to be equal to the velocity of the particle. The proposal by de Broglie inspired Schrödinger to develop the mathematical foundations of wave mechanics. Whereas in conventional quantum theory, phase waves are considered fictional, de Broglie considered them to have a certain physical reality, renaming them pilot or guiding waves – a concept developed later by Bohm in 1952.
Whatever was going to replace classical physics in the description of radiation and atomic phenomena had to confront the difficult task of somehow reconciling the wave-like and particle-like aspects of light in a single structure. An important clue would come from Einstein’s E=mc2. We tend to want to associate mass (and linear momentum) with material particles. But the Planck–Einstein relation E=hν connects energy with frequency, a determinedly wave-like property. So, here are two very simple yet fundamental equations connecting energy to mass and energy to frequency. Can they be combined? Louis de Broglie thought so, and in 1923 he generalized the discovery made by Einstein in 1905 by extending it to all material particles, and most notably to electrons. The de Broglie relation λ=h/p can be derived quite straightforwardly by comparing the Lorentz transformations for energy and momentum with those for a system of plane waves.
In this paper, we have considered that the particle velocity in the matter wave concept of de Broglie is relative. It reveals that matter wave associated with a moving particle is a photon wave which has longitudinal and transverse values. The conventional de-Broglie’s wavelength-momentum relation corresponds to the longitudinal wave. As a consequence, we have found the longitudinal and transverse relative values of the mass, time, length and velocity including the missing equations of Einstein’s theory of special relativity. It also reveals that momentum and energy are relative quantities and the corresponding expressions for the longitudinal and transverse values for both of them have been presented. Moreover, the addition rules, with a general expression, for all the relative quantities based on Lorentz-Einstein transformation law for the addition of velocities have been given. Finally, the maximum and minimum values of the relative quantities have been expressed in terms of Plank’s constant and the speed of light. Their numerical values have also been calculated and presented in this paper.
In this article, it is shown that if a particle is at rest and has some harmonic oscillation, then a traveling particle with a constant speed corresponds to a De Broglie Wave.In 1924, De Broglie proposed that particles of matter exhibit wave like behavior, the expression for which became fundamental in the creation of wave mechanics (quantum mechanics).The main equation for this is the Schrödinger equation, which in the case of free motion of a particle becomes the expression for the De Broglie wave.This hypothesis is supported by many early experiments on the diffraction of electrons, and later the development of modern physics.However until now, the origin of this hypothesis remains unclear.We show that the expression for the De Broglie wavelength can be obtained from a more general well-known concept, that any particle at rest has a corresponding harmonic oscillation that transforms into a wave of a moving particle with the help of relativistic change of coordinates (the Lorentz transformations).In this way, a De Broglie wave can be explained as a spacetime wave.