A Hypothesis on the Relationship Between Motion and Photon Spin States

 

Key Observations

1. The relativistic energy-momentum equation $E^2 = (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2$ suggests a fundamental 90-degree relationship between rest mass and momentum energy, as they combine in a Pythagorean manner.

2. Spin crisis in nucleons (protons and neutrons) reveals that only a fraction of nucleon spin comes from quarks, suggesting the existence of hidden or locked spin states.

3. Energy at the atomic level implies a wavelength and frequency, and the presence of a frequency suggests the presence of spin.

The Hypothesis

This hypothesis proposes that:

1. At the atomic level, motion is mediated by photon exchange, with only one specific photon spin state being responsible for mediating motion and momentum transfer.

2. The opposite photon spin state is "locked" into nucleons as rest mass at current universal energy levels. While this may have been different at higher energy levels (e.g., in the early universe), these spin states no longer actively mediate motion in today’s conditions.

3. This separation of spin states results in orthogonality between rest mass and momentum, explaining the 90-degree relationship observed in the relativistic energy-momentum equation.

Supporting Evidence and Expanded Insights

1. Quantum Incompatibility of Spin States in Motion

1. The two spin states of photons represent quantum "poles" that emerge as particle/antiparticle pairs in vacuum energy. However, these states are fundamentally incompatible and don't interact with each other - they don't cancel out, they simply cannot interact at all. This quantum incompatibility has profound implications for motion:
   If both spin states were involved in momentum transfer, we would expect to see some kind of interference or interaction effects between them

• However, we observe completely independent, consistent momentum transfer
• This suggests that motion exclusively uses one of these quantum "poles" of spin state
• The other spin state (being quantum mechanically incompatible) is associated with rest mass but cannot participate in momentum transfer

This fundamental incompatibility between the spin states explains why momentum transfer is so consistent and unidirectional - it's not that the states cancel each other out, but rather that they occupy separate, non-interacting quantum domains. The hypothesis that nature uses only one spin state "pole" for mediating motion while the other remains associated with rest mass aligns perfectly with this quantum mechanical understanding of incompatible states.

2. The Energy-Momentum Relationship

The relativistic energy-momentum relationship $E^2 = (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2$is geometrically equivalent to a right triangle, where:

• Rest mass (mc²) corresponds to the energy associated with one photon spin state.
• Momentum (pc) corresponds to the energy associated with the opposite photon spin state.

These spin states being orthogonal naturally creates the 90-degree relationship reflected in the equation. Rest mass and momentum do not interfere with one another because they are independent spin states of photons. This helps explain how particles can possess both rest mass and momentum without one directly affecting the other in terms of energy.

3. Spin Crisis in Protons and Nucleons

The spin crisis in nucleons refers to the fact that only about 30% of the total spin of a proton is accounted for by the spin of its quark constituents. The remaining spin, often called the "missing spin," could be explained by this hypothesis:

• Rest mass involves photon spin states that are locked and do not contribute to observable momentum or motion.
• These locked spin states within nucleons could be where the "missing spin" resides, explaining why experiments measuring quark contributions to spin don’t detect the full spin.

Thus, the spin crisis may be resolved by recognizing that the missing spin is the locked spin state associated with rest mass, which is not measurable in dynamic momentum-based interactions.

4. Energy and Wavelength Implications

At the atomic level, energy manifests through a wavelength and frequency, and the presence of frequency implies an associated spin state. This reinforces the idea that all energy interactions at the quantum level involve particles with spin. For momentum transfer to be consistent, only one photon spin state can be active in facilitating motion. The other spin state, which is tied to rest mass, does not directly participate in momentum transfer.

5. Photon Spin States and Motion

This hypothesis further posits that motion at the atomic level is always mediated by photons of a specific spin state, while the opposite spin state remains fixed as rest mass. This would mean that nucleons only interact with photons of a single spin state when it comes to motion and momentum transfer.

• Since photons are bosons, they do not obey the Pauli exclusion principle and can be emitted or absorbed in large numbers without issue. However, if photons of opposite spins were mediating motion simultaneously, cancellations could occur, which we do not observe.
• Therefore, today’s energy levels constrain nucleons to only interact with photons of a specific spin state, ensuring consistent motion without interference from the opposite spin state.

6. Limits on Motion and Energy Conservation

Since energy is finite and motion is mediated by photon exchange:

• The amount of available energy limits how much momentum can be transferred, leading to limits on motion.
• This finite energy also suggests conservation of motion at the universal level: as the available energy is used to mediate momentum via photons, it cannot be replenished without external input, placing natural limits on acceleration and motion.

Implications of the Hypothesis

1. Unidirectional Motion: Since only one photon spin state mediates motion, momentum transfer is unidirectional, preventing spin-based cancellations that would disrupt motion.

2. Rest Mass and Momentum Orthogonality: The orthogonal spin states of rest mass and momentum ensure that they remain independent, explaining the geometric relationship between rest mass energy and momentum energy.

3. Resolution of Spin Crisis: The spin crisis in nucleons may be resolved by recognizing that the "missing spin" is locked in the rest mass spin state, which does not participate in dynamic motion or momentum-based measurements.

4. Limits on Motion: Since only a finite amount of energy is available for momentum transfer, this hypothesis predicts that motion is inherently limited by the available photon interactions, consistent with observed physical limits (such as the speed of light).

5. Photon Interaction in Motion: This hypothesis suggests that photon-mediated motion follows strict spin-selection rules, similar to how atomic transitions are governed by photon spin.

Future Investigations

This hypothesis opens up several questions for further investigation:

1. CP Violation and Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry: Could the asymmetry between active and locked photon spin states relate to CP violation or the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe?

2. Early Universe Conditions: Did both photon spin states interact dynamically in the early universe, before one became locked into rest mass? Could this explain different physical behavior at higher energy levels, such as in black holes or during cosmic inflation?

3. Higgs Mechanism: How does this hypothesis relate to the Higgs mechanism? Could the Higgs field be responsible for "locking" one photon spin state into rest mass, while allowing the other to mediate momentum?

Conclusion

This hypothesis offers a new way of understanding the relationship between rest mass, momentum, and photon spin states. By proposing that only one specific photon spin state mediates motion while the opposite spin state is locked into rest mass, it provides an elegant explanation for the orthogonality observed in the relativistic energy-momentum equation, resolves the spin crisis in nucleons, and sets natural limits on motion. Further exploration of this idea may offer insights into other areas of fundamental physics, such as CP violation and the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe.