LIGHT AND VACUUM. The Wave–Particle Nature of the Light and the Quantum Vacuum through the Coupling of Electromagnetic Theory and Quantum Electrodynamics

133 Pages·2015·1.27 MB·English

by  Constantin Meis

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World Scientific
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Published by
World Scientifc Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224
USA offce: 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601
UK offce: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
LIGHT AND VACUUM
The Wave–Particle Nature of the Light and the Quantum Vacuum through the Coupling
of Electromagnetic Theory and Quantum Electrodynamics
Copyright © 2015 by World Scientifc Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval
system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the publisher.
For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright Clearance
Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to photocopy
is not required from the publisher.
ISBN 978-981-4630-89-4
In-house Editor: Song Yu
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Email:
October 9, 2014 8:1 Light and Vacuum 9in x 6in b1896-fm page v
To my mother Aphrodite, to Angelika and Hypatia
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October 9, 2014 8:1 Light and Vacuum 9in x 6in b1896-fm page vii
“The infinite vacuum is the real essence of the cosmos, whatever
exists has derived from the intrinsic action of the vacuum resulting
to positive and negative entities”
(Anaximander, 611-546 BC).
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Prologue
Throughout this book, we give the main principles of the electromag-
netic theory and quantum electrodynamics (QED), both developed
for the understanding of light’s nature and for the explanation of
the associated phenomena when interacting with matter. Of course,
it is not in the scope of this manuscript to give a full and detailed
presentation of these theories. Only selected theoretical topics have
been chosen, supported by experimental evidence, which are indis-
pensable for the understanding of the present status of the theories
on the nature of light.
Furthermore, we discuss the main difficulties encountered by both
theories, to ensure a complete and coherent mathematical description
of the simultaneous wave-particle nature of light put in evidence by
experiments.
Finally, we consider the basic aspect of QED related to the quan-
tization of the vector potential amplitude of the electromagnetic field
to a single photon state, and we advance elaborations on its relation-
ship with the classical electromagnetic wave theory and the vacuum.
The topics are all drawn from many works previously published,
and given in the bibliography. The perspectives and elaborations on
the photon vector potential and its relationship to the quantum vac-
uum are of my own, in the aim to raise questions and aspire for further
theoretical and experimental investigation, in order to improve our
knowledge and understanding on the real essence of light and vacuum.
Note: In this book, the word “light” is not limited to the visible
field, but concerns the whole electromagnetic spectrum ranging from
zero frequency to infinity.
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