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Permanent Magnets and Photons
Name: Anthony
Status: other
Age: 40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 6/4/2003
Question:
Do permanent magnets "exchange" photons? What would the
wavelength of such a continuous wave photon be?
All forces are mediated by certain "carriers" of the force in question.
Photons carry the electromagnetic force, other particles carry the strong
and weak atomic forces. Gravity may eventually be shown to be "carried" by
a Graviton, and Dark Matter may have an inverse analog to the Graviton.
What particle carries the force that is observed between to permanent
magnets? If photons are responsible for this force, wouldn't they have a
very long (infinite) wavelength? For example light consists of photons of
a particular wavelength depending upon the color of the light. As we
descend into the radio frequencies, the wavelength gets longer and longer.
What happens between two continuous permanent magnets, essentially a DC
(direct current). The force between two permanent magnets is caused by the
electronic properties of the material, so photons must be involved with
the magnetic attraction between the two masses? Maybe I am confusing
electromagnetic with magnetic?
If this question is a little incoherent or incomplete, could you rather
than answering it, suggest where I could do research on the topic?
Replies:
Neither is the question incoherent nor is it incomplete. I just do not have a quick accurate answer.
I will try to do some book work on it because it is a very fundamental question. You might try
"Lectures on Physics" by Richard Feynman because he was one of the pioneers in quantum electrodynamics,
which is the area of your question. You might also look for some books/articles on the
"Standard Model" because that is the area that treats the content of your question. I think
there is an article in this month's or last month's Scientific American and there is a
not-too-math-laden book entitled "Super Symmetry" by Gordon Kane that seems to be pointing in
that direction, but I am only on page 12 so I am not sure. I will try to get back to you if I
find something out.
Vince Calder
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Update: June 2012
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