Volume 22: Pages 233-245, 2009
Mass, wave-particle duality, and the equivalence principle in relativistic quantum mechanics
Gregory R. Osche 1
1Osche Theoretical Sciences, 17 Arborwood Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, USA
In a previous article by the author, it was shown via first principles arguments that a guided photon exhibits all of the kinematic and mass-related properties of a free elementary particle. In this paper, it is shown that the relativistic Klein–Gordon equation and related energy-momentum equation can be identified as a four-dimensional guided-wave equation and its separation equation, respectively. This leads to the identification of the Dirac Hamiltonian as the linear momentum, not energy, of a massless spin 1/2 particle propagating in four-dimensional Clifford space. As a consequence, the separate disciplines of relativistic particle mechanics and wave mechanics merge into a single theory of guided massless particles thereby eliminating the dichotomy of concepts inherent in traditional notions of wave-particle duality in matter. The model leads to explanations of particle mass and the equivalence principle of general relativity that are consistent with those found for guided photons.
Keywords: Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, Klein–Gordon Equation, Dirac Equation, Guided Waves, Mass, Wave-Particle Duality, Equivalence Principle
Received: November 16, 2008; Accepted: April 24, 2009; Published Online: June 15, 2009
