The objects of Classical Physics is particles of matter, its basic property is mass; And objects of Modern Physics is field, its basic property is energy. Modern Physics emerged from the discussion on the essence of light, it is not contingent.
Light, its two properties are very different from others: 1) wave – particle duality; 2) its velocity is constant in vacuum. These properties are not analogized by any common substance, that means light is very distinct in essence from other substance.
Photon is wave, also is particle too, the finally establishment of this view point was derived from the genius idea of Mr De Broglie, him deduction on a set of mathematical formulas claimed that any particle with mass and velocity (energy and momentum) has its wavelength and frequency, interpreted the wave property of a single photon.
Up to now, all authorized experiments have proved that the velocity of light travelling in vacuum is constant, no matter with the status of its reference frame, Fitzgerald Contraction and Lorentz Transformation clarified its correctness of the experiments in theory. Mr. Einstein affirmed the fact, basing on it, established The Special Theory of Relativity, with The General Theory of Relativity following developed later, they have acquired recognized achievements.
The ideas on light above are the foundation stones of Modern Physics.
Even the scholars do a lot of works for a century, to expand the depth and extent of Modern Physics, but seemed to ignore something more essential hiding behind the facts. This thesis is trying to interpret the essential ideas based on pure logic thinking, to have the esoteric course been understood more easier.
Since the time of Newton and Huygens, the argument of light is a particle or a wave was almost lasted for a century, until that De Broglie Wave function and Schrodinger Equation successfully described photon is a beam of wave, so established the theory on wave – particle duality of photon. Not only that, based the concepts of Modern Physics, a naturally extension is that De Broglie Wave can be applied to all particles. So that the wave – particle duality is not only a property of a photon, also of all particles. But De Broglie Wave is probability wave, a kind of wave in statistical significance, is it really the answer we have been looking for?
When they are in colony, the behaviour of huge quantity of photon can be described as probability wave of De Broglie, but referring to a single photon, how could it be interpreted as wave? However, colony and individual are two different concepts, in a sense of logic, the property of colony is not same to the property of individual. The distribution of a throng of people could be described as a function of probability wave, but it not means that a single people possesses the same property, too. To a single photon, how can we interpret it as a beam of wave?
Light is a kind of electromagnetic wave, a very reason of drawing the conclusion is it has same velocity travelling in vacuum as electromagnetic wave. According to the Maxwell’s Theory, the mechanism of electromagnetic wave is variations of electric fields exciting variations of magnetic fields, conversely, variations of magnetic fields exciting variations of electric fields, repeating the process in endless, electromagnetic wave is propagating spreadly in vacuum. Maxwell Field Equations vividly describe the mutual excitation, its differential formulas as below:
div D = 0
rot H = ЭD / Эt
rot E = – ЭB / Эt
div B = 0
Light is no electric character, also no magnetic character, does it propagate in same way like electromagnetic wave? If it does be a kind of electromagnetic wave, should have a same mechanism as common electromagnetic wave. hereby a question is: In the process of light travelling, what is its mutual excitation? Which take the places of H and E?
For answer the questions above, quoting several viewpoints which have been approached by many scholars at different occasions, list them here as the bases of following discussion, that are:
1) There are only two kinds of basic matter in universe: mass and energy.
2) Both of mass and energy can be mutually transformed in the equation of E = MC2，following the law of conservation of mass – energy.
3) The essence of all activities in nature is transformation of energies.
4) Photon has property of mass – energy duality.
5) Mass follows the law of Newton’s Mechanics.
6) Energy follows Maxwell’s Law and Schrodinger’s Equation.
7) Mass and energy are acting in different pattern: Mass moving in displacement, energy moving in wave, the velocities of both can not be added.
The more details for the sentences above as below: Mass and energy are the most basic two kinds of matter which constitute our world, energy can exist in independence, and not depending on mass. In comparison, energy is more widespread existing in universe, fulling with energy in universal space (might it’s a explanation for dark matter and virtual particle), it exists in pattern of field. Mass is one type of energy with high density, existing in pattern of energy island. The distribution status of energy in space is not even, there are two kinds of energy field in universe: Even field and radiant field, even field existing in even space, gradient field existing around field islands. Gravitational field is one kind of gradient field, distortions of energy field occurring around an energy island becomes it, gravitation probably is one effect of gradient difference. Distortion of energy field can be taken place around objects with acceleration, becoming a gradient field. In The General Theory of Relativity, both of gravitational field and acceleration field are equivalent.
The essence of all activities in nature is transformation of energies, universal space is an ocean of energy with waves roaring, transforming its energies incessantly all the time. Energy in space is in an overlapping status of many kinds of field (Energy in every spot of space is a function with multi-variables and multi-exponent), a kind of field only can respond to energies with specific frequencies. Also mass exchanges energies with external every time, emitting and absorbing energies, even converts itself directly to energy by the Equation of Mass – Energy Relation, E = MC2. Any mass only can be exchanged to energy in a range of frequencies with external, following the law of conservation of mass – energy. Energy is composed of quantum, quantum is the smallest unit of energy, e = hν, in which h is Planck Constant, ν is the frequency of resonance.
There has implicated the ideas of photon being in the brink status of mass and energy in the treory on photon with the property of wave – particle duality, so that photon is rather regarded as possessing the property of mass – energy duality, than of wave – particle duality. Mass is a property referring to particle, energy is a property referring to wave, if photon possesses duality of particle and wave, of course possesses duality of mass and energy. Regarding photon as possessing the duality of mass and energy, still can retain the concept on the velocity of light being absolute, but in the new theory, the velocity is no more referring to travelling photons, is referring to energies propagating in field.
Same as photon, any elementary particle which is so infinitesimal that can be applicable by The Uncertainty Principle of Heisenberg, it is in the brink status of mass and energy, or in the brink status of annihilation.
Then how does light propagate? Being it’s on the brink status of mass and energy, one possibility maybe is the transforming between both of mass and energy, similar to what doing by both of electricity and magnetism. So the wave equation should be as:
div εE = 0
rot M = ЭεE / Эt
rot E = – ЭμM / Эt
div μM = 0
There electric field E is replaced by energy E, magnetic field H is replaced by mass M, εE is flux of energy, and μM is flux of mass. Similar to electromagnetic transform, there is no pure flux of mass and energy in a close domain of space (conservation of mass and energy), their divergences are identically vanishing. If light wave has a same propagating mechanism as electromagnetic wave, this analogy probably is approaching to authentic.
When a cluster of energy shrinks up to mass, a slight perturbation has its center deviated; when mass exhales (collapse or spallation) down to energy, same is too. Every alternation causes a tiny displacement, so that the wave propagates away. If the times of the alternation and size of the displacement per time unit((frequency and wave length) can be known, the velocity of the propagation can be precisely calculated as their product (velocity of light).
How does transform between mass and energy? Supposing there maybe exists a critical density of energy field in universe, once the density of energy is becoming larger than the critical point, an energy island forms, it presenting the property of particle (mass). Photon (a pile of hν) just is about the value of critical status, its pulsation occurring transformation between both statuses of mass and energy, similar as the mutual excitation of electronic field and magnetic field.
A photon is a kind of density wave rather than a kind of probability wave. Mr. De Broglie abandoned up “density wave” and adopted “probability wave”, though both can be used to describe the distribution in space of energy, but it is more easier to explain the wave – particle duality of photon from the view angle of density. The variation of density of energy following time and space just is the essence of wave, the distribution of the density of energy in time and space just is the formation’s reason of probability wave. A photon is in the brink statue of betweenness of mess and energy, when its density is less than the critical value, it presents a property of energy field; when its density is more than the critical value, it presents a property of particle, photon being a density wave, it is more easier to interpret the experiment on a double slit interference.
De Broglie Wave links the both of particle and wave, a derivation on the most basic dues to Einstein’s equation of mass and energy: MC2 = hν, the former presents particle’s kinetic energy, the latter presents wave’s field energy. The equation is available only when both of kinetic energy and field energy, or particle and wave, can be free exchanged, similar to the concept of “exchange rate” in different currencies, when a particle (kinetic energy) is disappeared, a wave (field energy) appears, conversely, when a wave (field energy) is disappeared, a particle (kinetic energy) appears. As this pattern, De Broglie Wave only exists once a particle is transformed into energy, when De Broglie Wave appears, the particle has disappeared. So De Broglie Wave only is available in microworld, not in macrocosm, it’s no sense to a flying bullet.
In generally, any wave is a propagation of energy, a kind of wave only can propagate in a special energy field, and essence of light is a propagation of energy. Photon and elementary particles are in the critical status between mass and energy, so light has the properties both of mass and energy, its propagating is a process of transformation between mass and energy. Energy is existing independently, without appendanting to mass. People accustoms that energy being just regarded as a property of mass, but in the new idea, it is a more basic substance, existing more widespread than mass in universe.
Mass and energy are two kinds of the elemental substance, they are moving in very different patterns: Mass is moving in displacement, and energy is moving in wave, velocities of both can not be added. That is the reason why no variation of light’s velocity on the Michelson – Morley Experiment was observed, it is just because the velocity of light travelling can not be added with the velocity of earth moving. The light emitting from a moving object just emerges the Doppler Shift, that is an only memory’s effect to its host.
Mass and energy (particle and wave) is moving in different modes, alike boat in river, what can be added with the velocity of boat moving is the velocity of water (mass) flowing, but not the velocity of water wave (energy) travelling. The wave can influence the boat’s motion, but the velocities of both are not applicable to a direct addition. Mass acting on energy is same as energy acting on mass, they are not applicable to the simple addition principle.
The Michelson – Morley Experiment confirms that the velocity of light travelling in vacuum is constant, the Fitzgerald Contraction and Lorentz Transformation are quoted to explain the fact theoretically. They perfectly describe that the principle on velocity of light being how to apply for all different kinds of inertia frame, but are not the reason of the matter. As mentioned above, the reason of light’s velocity being constant is that any motion of any coordinate frame being not influencing the velocity of light travelling in vacuum, both of them can not be added.
I would like to claim that what mentioned above just is a possibility’s hypothesis, as I am not in the frontier of the subject, also not have any basic equipment to verify the hypothesis, only can extract clues from the recognizable known facts, try to weave a more concise and orderly pattern of the Modern Physics, have it more easier been understood by learners. If it can be “throw out a brick to attract a jade”, that is the very target of this essay.
2015.06.16
PROBING & PONDERING 