A hundred years ago, Planck and Einstein and others created quantum theories or quantum mechanics while they explained the photoelectric effect. Planck and Einstein empirically obtained a statistical relationship between the energy of light quantum and the frequency of light but have not studied the physical process and essence of the photoelectric effect, so some photoelectric phenomena are difficult to be explained by existing quantum mechanics currently. In this paper, a dynamical process of orthogonal interaction between a photon and an electron to form a new state of matter in photoelectric effect experiments is studied so finding that the Planck constant is a product value of the mass, length, and velocity of a high-energy particle. The dynamics of the orthogonal collision of matter (particles) can not only give the physical process and essence of the photoelectric effect, but also have great significance for the further development of quantum mechanics. It can physically explain phenomena such as wave-particle duality and quantum entanglement in the motion of high-energy particles. Its prospects can be widely used in cosmic physics, macro physics, and micro physics.
In this paper, the problems existing in the concepts of Planck’s energy element and Einstein’s light quantum are analyzed, and the alternate concept of quantum and a new concept of electron transition power were proposed. This paper clarififies the common misunderstanding in classical electromagnetics that the electron will radiate electromagnetic wave when it moves around the nucleus in a uniform circular motion and points out that the electron will radiate and absorb electromagnetic waves only when it moves around the nucleus in an accelerated or decelerated motion with a change of frequency and expounds the classical physical mechanism of quantum generation. Based on this, the quantization of electron orbital energy level of hydrogen atom and the phenomenon of spectrum are explained without Bohr’s “quantization hypothesis.” In addition, the photoelectric effect is explained by using the modifified quantum concept. The modifified quantum concept and its mechanism of classical physics break the gap between macro and micro physics, eliminate the contradiction between “classical physics” and “quantum mechanics,” and lay an important foundation for the reconstruction of unifified macro and micro physics.
In this paper, the problems existing in the concepts of Planck's energy element and Einstein's light quantum are analyzed, and the alternate concept of quantum and a new concept of electron transition power were proposed. This paper clarifies the common misunderstanding in classical electromagnetics that the electron will radiate electromagnetic wave when it moves around the nucleus in a uniform circular motion and points out that the electron will radiate and absorb electromagnetic waves only when it moves around the nucleus in an accelerated or decelerated motion with a change of frequency and expounds the classical physical mechanism of quantum generation. Based on this, the quantization of electron orbital energy level of hydrogen atom and the phenomenon of spectrum are explained without Bohr's “quantization hypothesis.” In addition, the photoelectric effect is explained by using the modified quantum concept. The modified quantum concept and its mechanism of classical physics break the gap between macro and micro physics, eliminate the contradiction between “classical physics” and “quantum mechanics,” and lay an important foundation for the reconstruction of unified macro and micro physics.
Einstein’s 1905 paper on the photoelectric effect, in which he considered Planck’s idea of quanta of energy to be a universal characteristic of light, marks the beginning of quantum theory. For over ten years Einstein stood alone on the issue of energy quantization of light; and although in 1915 experimental conrmation of his photoelectric effect came from painstaking experiments performed by Millikan, acceptance of the idea that light was composed of particles was far from universal. Millikan himself wrote in 1915: “Despite … the apparent complete success of the Einstein equation, the physical theory of which it was designed to be the symbolic expression is found so untenable that Einstein himself, I believe, no longer holds to it.” Einstein did hold to it. It was only in the mid 1920s, when Heisenberg, Schrödinger, Dirac, and others developed the rst forms of quantum theory, that serious discussions concerning the particle nature of light and the meaning of the new theory began. Discussions about the meaning of quantum theory continue today.
In this paper, the problems existing in the concepts of Planck's energy element and Einstein's light quantum are analyzed, and new concepts of quantum and electronic transition power are proposed. The new concept of quantum eliminates the inherent contradiction of the old quantum concept, and can explain the structure and spectral phenomena of hydrogen atom and photoelectric effect completely on the basis of classical physics without Bohr's "quantization hypothesis". The new concept of quantum breaks the gap between macro and micro, eliminates the contradiction between "classical physics" and "quantum mechanics", and lays an important foundation for the reconstruction of unified macro and micro physics.
Abstract: The Hydrodynamic Nature of the Photoelectric Effect — Planck's Constant as Space Viscosity within the
vL Model This paper extends the Space Flow Hydrodynamic Model (
vL) to quantum phenomena, offering a deterministic physical foundation for quantum mechanics through the principles of fluid dynamics. The research proposes that the photoelectric effect is not a stochastic occurrence, but a direct mechanical consequence of an electron overcoming the local spatial absorption flow (
vL) generated by the atomic nucleus. Key Theoretical Insights: Planck's Constant as Viscosity: A central thesis of this study is that Planck's constant (
h) represents the dynamic viscosity of the spatial medium. In this framework,
h acts as the physical coefficient of spatial resistance against which all quantum interactions occur. Hydrodynamic Escape Mechanism: To eject an electron, an external impulse (photon) must provide sufficient energy to counteract the hydrodynamic "suction" or inflow pressure of the nucleus. The work function is thus redefined as the energy required to break the laminar flow of the spatial medium at the electron's nodal position. Threshold Frequency: Photoemission is reinterpreted as a "shockwave frequency" high enough to displace an electron node from its resonant spatial inflow. Physical Interpretation: The model treats "empty space" as a superfluid with a specific, measurable dynamic viscosity (
η≈6.626×10−34 Pa·s). This approach provides a tangible alternative to "action at a distance," replacing it with the measurable, local dynamics of space absorption and flow. Conclusion: By deriving quantum constants from fluid dynamics, the
vL model provides a bridge between classical mechanics and quantum theory. This framework suggests that the laws governing atomic structures and stellar systems are identical, differing only in the scale of the spatial flow harmonics.
Abstract With the failure of classical physics to explain the experimentally observed black body radiation spectrum, the photoelectric effect and the existence of narrow spectral lines in the light emitted by excited atoms, physicists were forced to reach out for new ideas. Following Planck’s initial “drastic hypothesis” of light “quanta”, Einstein led the way in exploring some of the myriad implications of this idea. In particular, the study of fluctuations led to a new understanding of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with atoms. Einstein invented the photon by showing, through fluctuation studies, that light emitted by atoms must be in the form of plane waves. These ideas led to the first notions regarding the quantization of matter and its dynamics.