sci.physics.electromag

On 29 mar, 13:46, Benj wrote:
> On Mar 29, 9:19 am, srp2...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > You forget that as each photon crosses the slit, it is interfered
> > with by the particles locally captive of the structure of the matter
> > making up the walls of the slit. All of them are electromagnetic
> > in nature, just like the photon.
>
> That's and interesting idea, but the problem is that the energetic
> extension of a photon is quite limited (compared to say Field Theory
> which theoretically has an extension to infinity)
> Photons are "energy packets" and hence by definition (an
> measurement) are quite limited in dimensional extent.

Absolute agreement. Very limited transverse extent.

I would say localized quantum of energy rather than energy packet.

> The photo electric effect demands this. Hence even if one admits
> of an interference with the matter in the walls of the slits, an
> extension to reach the second slit does not seem reasonable.

Definitely not, and physically impossible if the photon is localized
as it moves, which is my conclusion, in sync with de Broglie, in
fact.

> Likewise atoms are also relatively compact in energy distribution.

Yes. On the same scale as photons crossing the slits.

> > Each photon knows nothing. It can only follow the least action
> > trajectory allowed by the local electromagnetic equilibrium at
> > the precise location where it crosses the slit.
>
> I am in complete agreement with this statement. The only problem,
> however, is just HOW that "least action" somehow ends up with a double
> slit diffraction pattern. This is an interesting problem given the
> limited energy spatial distributions of photons.

I gave much thought to this. I even played with a double slit
apparatus way back (Pasco made, if I recall). The distance between
the slit wall and the target must be finely adjusted in relation with
the frequency used for the pattern to appear.

Since the particles in the walls of the slits are immobilized (except
for local vibration related to ambient temperature) they can only
force
exactly the same deflection to all photons crossing at a given
coordinate
through the window of a slit, and will force a slightly different
deflection
to any photon crossing at a coordinate even slightly different.

What seems to be happening is that over a period of time, incoming
photons will have crossed a slit window at just about all possible
coordinates. The same for all photons crossing the other slit.

It seems to me that the pattern is determined by the geometry
of the particles making up the walls of the slits.

> And There is one more thing as well to think about. And that would be
> the mixing of metaphors (or theories in this case). If one admits that
> EM waves (light, radio waves etc.) are all photons, then that implies
> that the "electromagnetic equilibrium" of which you speak is ALSO
> composed of photons!

Or of massive particles with EM structures similar to that of
photons,
which may well be the case.

> Whoa! Now that opens a can of worms, does it not?

Sure does. It was de Broglie who hypothesized a possible internal
EM structure for photons, which when understood can then also
be applied to massive particles (electrons, positrons, quarks up and
down).

Andr=E9 Michaud

NB. I really appreciate that you seem to try to paint as complete
a picture as possible to newbees. A rare commodity here.