dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaConnecting Blackbody Radiation, Relativity, and Discrete Charge in Classical Electrodynamics
| Authors | Timothy H. Boyer |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0605003 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0605003 |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10701-007-9139-3 |
| Journal | Found. Phys. 37, 999-1026 (2007) |
Abstract
It is suggested that an understanding of blackbody radiation within classical physics requires the presence of classical electromagnetic zero-point radiation, the restriction to relativistic (Coulomb) scattering systems, and the use of discrete charge. The contrasting scaling properties of nonrelativistic classical mechanics and classical electrodynamics are noted, and it is emphasized that the solutions of classical electrodynamics found in nature involve constants which connect together the scales of length, time, and energy. Indeed, there are analogies between the electrostatic forces for groups of particles of discrete charge and the van der Waals forces in equilibrium thermal radiation. The differing Lorentz- or Galilean-transformation properties of the zero-point radiation spectrum and the Rayleigh-Jeans spectrum are noted in connection with their scaling properties. Also, the thermal effects of acceleration within classical electromagnetism are related to the existence of thermal equilibrium within a gravitational field. The unique scaling and phase-space properties of a discrete charge in the Coulomb potential suggest the possibility of an equilibrium between the zero-point radiation spectrum and matter which is universal (independent of the particle mass), and an equilibrium between a universal thermal radiation spectrum and matter where the matter phase space depends only upon the ratio mc^2/kT. The observations and qualitative suggestions made here run counter to the ideas of currently accepted quantum physics.
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"abstract": "It is suggested that an understanding of blackbody radiation within classical\nphysics requires the presence of classical electromagnetic zero-point\nradiation, the restriction to relativistic (Coulomb) scattering systems, and\nthe use of discrete charge. The contrasting scaling properties of\nnonrelativistic classical mechanics and classical electrodynamics are noted,\nand it is emphasized that the solutions of classical electrodynamics found in\nnature involve constants which connect together the scales of length, time, and\nenergy. Indeed, there are analogies between the electrostatic forces for groups\nof particles of discrete charge and the van der Waals forces in equilibrium\nthermal radiation. The differing Lorentz- or Galilean-transformation properties\nof the zero-point radiation spectrum and the Rayleigh-Jeans spectrum are noted\nin connection with their scaling properties. Also, the thermal effects of\nacceleration within classical electromagnetism are related to the existence of\nthermal equilibrium within a gravitational field. The unique scaling and\nphase-space properties of a discrete charge in the Coulomb potential suggest\nthe possibility of an equilibrium between the zero-point radiation spectrum and\nmatter which is universal (independent of the particle mass), and an\nequilibrium between a universal thermal radiation spectrum and matter where the\nmatter phase space depends only upon the ratio mc^2/kT. The observations and\nqualitative suggestions made here run counter to the ideas of currently\naccepted quantum physics.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0605003",
"authors": [
"Timothy H. Boyer"
],
"categories": [
"physics.class-ph",
"physics.gen-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1007/s10701-007-9139-3",
"journal_ref": "Found. Phys. 37, 999-1026 (2007)",
"title": "Connecting Blackbody Radiation, Relativity, and Discrete Charge in Classical Electrodynamics",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0605003"
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