Re: [Phys-l] teaching different descriptions of "reality"

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@hep.anl.gov>]

It was never an "accepted view.  Photons have forever been
transverse, and the represent the quantized transverse part
of the vector potential.  See Jauch & Rohrlich, <Theory of
Photons & Electrons> (Addison-Wesley 1955), pp. 100 ff with references 
dating back to 1926.  I quote from that:
	"In the original formulation of the quantum theory of
radiation by Dirac [1926] the electromagnetic field was
separated into a radiation field and a static coulomb
interaction."
	Subsequent work, notably by Schwinger (1948 et seq.),
focussed on making Dirac's formulation covariant.
					Regards,
						Jack

On Thu, 27 Apr 2006, James McLean wrote:

> >>>On Wed, 19 Apr 2006, Brian Blais wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>But, the modern quantum description of interaction is entirely due
> to particle
> >>>>exchange, yes?
>
> >>Jack Uretsky wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>	The answer to your question is, "No".  ...
>
> > On Tue, 25 Apr 2006, Bernard Cleyet wrote:
> >>Huh?
> >>
> >>Just today (before reading the below) someone * at UCSC told me it was
> >>virtual photons.
>
> What about BC's underlying question?  I also am sure I have heard from
> reliable sources that the Coulomb force is mediated by the exchange of
> virtual photons, although I've never really understood what was meant by
> that.
>
> Is this not an accepted view any more?  Or is "exchange of virtual
> particles" somehow not really the same as "due to particle exchange"?
>
> Cheers,
> --James

--
"Trust me.  I have a lot of experience at this."
		General Custer's unremembered message to his men,
		just before leading them into the Little Big Horn Valley