Quantum Free Particle//Photon Energy, Information, Force and Spacetime
Authors/Creators
Description
The Lorentz transformation of special relativity is based on velocity. Although this velocity may be differentiated by time, the notion of force is not needed to obtain the Lorentz matrix for a particle with rest mass. In particular, in special relativity one considers frames moving at constant velocities. In the case of a photon, the Lorentz transformation preserves the form of Maxwell’s electromagnetic equations. As a result, there does not seem to be a focus on force, rather the emphasis is on the two 4-vectors (p,E) and (x,t) for a particle with rest mass and photon. Nevertheless, a particle with momentum (and the capability to interact) imparts an impulse. In fact, one may think of energy changing due to an impulse (which includes force). Thus from an information point of view, one may ask: Does this force which creates a change in energy/momentum “disappear” as the particle/photon moves at constant speed only to “reappear” when it strikes a surface? If not, where is the information of this force stored? We argue it is associated with a change in energy and momentum of a free particle which in turn is linked to an internal ruler/clock i.e. the quantum frequency and wavelength from exp(-iEt+ipx) which preserves the force because a spatial probability distribution is created (for the wavelength). This force is linked with a direction i.e. the direction of p through the two dimensionality of exp(ipx). Thus, we argue that the force does not disappear, rather it is manifest in the internal clock and ruler which define spacetime for the free quantum particle, but in a probabilistic manner with the distribution being deterministic to ensure it maps to spatial invariance. One might at first find it surprising that force, usually associated with acceleration (i.e. deterministic motion) is now associated with probability cos(px) in space (, but deterministic probability, not random), but E,p and x,t are intertwined through the Lorentz invariant -Et+px for both a particle with rest mass and photon, so if E and p change, it is not necessarily surprising that t,x also change. Thus an impulse may change p and E, but then remains manifest in the system through the internal clock and ruler gradations in such a way that speed is still constant on average.