The MAD Scientist Network: Physics

Subject: Are light photons stable particles at slow velocities?

Date: Fri Dec 1 08:31:46 2000
Posted by Douglas
Grade level: teacher/prof School: University of Florida
City: Gainesville State/Province: FL Country: USA
Area of science: Physics
ID: 975677506.Ph
Message:

Background: I recently read an excellent book by Brian Greene "The Elegant 
Universe." On page 51 the author states that all of the photon's movement 
through time is diverted to movement through space when travelling at light 
speed in a vacuum. This has the effect of collapsing the time dimension so 
that the photon never ages.
Question: If this is true at light speed in vacuo, what happens if you slow 
a photon down to speeds of only a few feet per second as has been recently 
achieved experimentally? Presumably the photon has a non-zero time 
dimension and may reveal properties not present at light speed. Could the 
light photon have a half life when after a certain period of time it 
transforms into something else but at light speed this would be hidden due 
to zero value of the time dimension?

I did email these thoughts some months ago to Professor Greene but 
unfortunatley did not receive a reply.

I would be grateful for your collective wisdom.


Re: Are light photons stable particles at slow velocities?

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