Photon in the Frame of the Current Loop Model

Abstract

We show that the electron–positron annihilation process ending with the creation of two gamma photons (with right- and left-hand circular helicity) can be explained in terms of the current loop model. We first show that both electron and positron (which are spin 1/2 particles) carry an intrinsic flux quantum of ±Φ0/2 even in the absence of an external magnetic field. By using the conservation of the magnetic flux quanta for collisions, we then argue that photon also carries a magnetic flux quantum of ±Φ0 = ±(hc/e) with itself along the propagation direction, where the (+) sign corresponds to the right-hand helicity and (-) one to the left-hand one.

Canonical Angular Momentum of Electron, Positron and the Gamma Photon

“…The definition of the canonical angular momentum vector, c J , for a free particle with charge q and the position vector r is given by [1]:…”

“…To calculate the canonical angular momentum of a gamma photon (γ) our starting point will be the electron-positron annihilation process ending with the creation of two gamma photons with ( ) rh and ( ) Ih circular helicities [1]. We will assume that electron and positron collide at the origin of the coordinate system.…”

“…In the present study we calculate the spin dependent canonical angular momenta of a free electron, positron and gamma photons. We first show that for any particle with the charge q quantum flux, ф int , which has already been calculated [1] . In the present study the sources of these intrinsic flux and hence the magnetic fields are due to the magnetic moments of these particles.…”

“…But the conservation of the canonical angular momentum has not been studied in detail. In a recent study Saglam and Sahin [1] calcu-lated the intrinsic quantum flux of gamma photons by using the conservation of the canonical angular momentum and showed that depending on its helicity, a gamma photon carried an intrinsic quantum flux of 0 ф h e ± = ± along the propagation direction. Here the (+) and (−) signs stand for the right hand ( ) rh and left hand ( ) Ih circular helicity respectively.…”

Magnetic Moment of Photon

“…In an earlier study [1], we calculated the intrinsic quantum flux of a photon through the intrinsic quantum flux of the gamma photons created as a result of the electron-positron ( e − -e + ) annihilation. By using the flux conservation rule, which is an element of the conservation of the canonical angular momentum, we find that each gamma photon carries a magnetic flux quantum of 0 hc e ±Φ = ± with itself along the propagation direction.…”