Anti-photon

TL;DR

This paper argues that the concept of photons as pseudo-particles in quantum electrodynamics is dangerous and that semi-classical theories, with proper corrections, provide more accurate descriptions of electromagnetic phenomena.

Contribution

It demonstrates that considering photons as small particles is misleading and advocates for the use of semi-classical theory with corrected errors for better physical understanding.

Findings

Quantum electrodynamics' photon concept is problematic.

Semi-classical theory with corrections is more accurate.

Astrophysical phenomena explained without photon counting.

Abstract

Quantum electrodynamics corrects miscalculations of classical electrodynamics, but by introducing the pseudo-particle "photon" it is the source of errors whose practical consequences are serious. Thus W. E. Lamb disadvises the use of the word "photon" in an article whose this text takes the title. The purpose of this paper is neither a compilation, nor a critique of Lamb's paper: It adds arguments and applications to show that the use of this concept is dangerous while the semi-classical theory is always right provided that common errors are corrected: in particular, the classical field of electromagnetic energy is often, wrongly, considered as linear, so that Bohr's electron falls on the nucleus and photon counting is false. Using absolute energies and radiances avoids doing these errors. Quantum electrodynamics quantizes "normal modes" chosen arbitrarily among the infinity of sets of orthogonal modes of the electromagnetic field. Changing the choice of normal modes splits the photons which are pseudo-particles, not physical objects. Considering the photons as small particles interacting without pilot waves with single atoms, astrophysicists use Monte-Carlo computations for the propagation of light in homogeneous media while it works only in opalescent media as clouds. Thus, for instance, two theories abort while, they are validated using coherence and Einstein theories, giving a good interpretation of the rings of supernova remnant 1987A, and the spectrum found inside. The high frequency shifts of this spectrum can only result from a parametric interaction of light with excited atomic hydrogen which is found in many regions of the universe.