MadSci Network: Physics
Query:

Re: assumptions of quantumelectrodynamics theory

Date: Tue Aug 2 16:29:49 2005
Posted By: P Pathak, Grad student, Physics, Oklahoma State University
Area of science: Physics
ID: 1122459834.Ph
Message:

Hi Vamsi,

Classical electrodynamics is the most successful theory in physics and 
for testing quantum electrodynamics predictions people always take 
classical limits.  After the emergence of quantum mechanics  and it was 
established that quantum mechanical description is the correct way of 
explaining all physical processes. After that one by one people started  
giving quantum mechanical treatment to all phenomenon.  Well, in the time 
of Bohr and Sommerfield  classical electrodynamics was the only 
established theory they tried to treat electron motion in atoms using 
classical electrodynamics and what so ever difficulties they were facing 
they were handling using assumptions.
 Now quantum electrodynamics is an approach to provide quantum mechanical 
treatment to electrodynamics. As such  no special assumption has been 
made in quantum electrodynamics. Only you can say it takes quantum 
mechanics postulates. 
Here I am not saying that quantum electrodynamics as such has no new 
phenomenon and results of course there are many. For example various 
quantum states (nonclassical states) of field  even the most basic 
spontaneous emission phenomena which can not be explained with out 
quantum elctrodynamics. 



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