Photons Don’t Have Energy: Time Dilation as the Primary Cause of Physical Phenomena

Abstract

This paper proposes a radical reinterpretation of the role of photons in physical processes. Rather than being carriers of energy, photons are viewed as mediators of spacetime interactions that govern motion, mass, momentum, inertia, and gravity. Time dilation emerges as the primary mechanism through which these effects manifest, reshaping our understanding of the relationships among energy, mass, and motion.

Introduction

In classical physics, energy is often treated as a quantifiable entity that can be exchanged through processes involving photons. However, this paper argues that energy is merely a human construct, an abstraction that does not exist as an intrinsic property of nature. Instead, we posit that the effects we associate with energy—such as mass, momentum, inertia, and gravity—are fundamentally rooted in the geometric properties of spacetime, with time dilation being the primary causal factor.

The Role of Photons

1. Continuous Background of Photons: Photons are continuously emitted and interact with particles, contributing to the forces necessary for motion. They form a vast background that facilitates the transmission of motion.

2. No Energy Exchange: Rather than exchanging energy, photons mediate the transfer of spacetime information and time dilation effects between particles. They do not possess energy in the classical sense; instead, their interactions with particles reflect changes in the geometry of spacetime. Energy is a single number that we humans use to reflect a single property out of the great number of properties that photons contain.

Momentum as a Component of Curved Spacetime

1. Geometric Nature of Momentum: Momentum is redefined not merely as a vector in three-dimensional space, but as a manifestation of how an object’s worldline traverses curved spacetime. This perspective integrates the spatial and temporal components of momentum, aligning with the four-momentum concept in relativity.

2. Spatial and Temporal Components:

   • Spatial Dimensions: In classical mechanics, momentum $p = mv$ describes mass moving through three-dimensional space. However, in curved spacetime, momentum is influenced by how momentum and mass distorts the surrounding geometry. An object’s trajectory is shaped by spacetime curvature, analogous to a ball rolling on a curved surface.
   • Time Dimension: Time is intertwined with spatial dimensions in relativity. Changes in momentum directly affect an object’s temporal motion. Therefore, momentum in spacetime has a time component linked to energy, illustrating that motion and the experience of time are inseparable.

3. Higher Dimensions: If higher dimensions exist, momentum would have additional components that could relate to other physical properties like charge and spin. This suggests a more complex, multi-dimensional universe where momentum encompasses interactions across all dimensions.

Momentum and Energy as Geometrical Entities

1. Geometric Properties of Motion: This perspective aligns momentum and energy as geometric properties of spacetime. The curvature of spacetime dictates momentum, while energy reflects how an object interacts with this curvature in the temporal dimension.

2. Forces and Motion: If momentum is viewed as a geometric property, then forces arise from changes in spacetime curvature. For instance, applying a force steepens spacetime curvature, altering an object’s worldline and resulting in acceleration.

Implications for Quantum Mechanics

1. Quantization and Spacetime Geometry: The connection between momentum and curved spacetime may elucidate why momentum appears quantized in the quantum realm. Each photon can carry nearly any amount of curved space time with it, from the emitting particle.  This packet of information is absorbed by the receiving particle. 

2. Discrete Energy Levels as Harmonics: Just as radio channels operate on specific frequencies, discrete energy levels can be imagined as unique broadcasts that particles 'tune into,' reflecting the underlying geometric structure of spacetime. These "receivers" reject photons that are outside the channel for that broadcast. Discrete energy levels in atomic systems can be interpreted as specific geometric patterns of worldlines in spacetime. Each energy level might represent a harmonic of the underlying geometry, akin to the vibrational modes of a string.

Conclusion

The reinterpretation of photons as mediators of time dilation/curved space time, rather than carriers of energy, offers profound implications for our understanding of the universe. By viewing momentum as a geometric property of curved spacetime, we create a unified framework that encompasses relativity, quantum mechanics, and higher-dimensional physics. This perspective not only reconciles various phenomena observed in nature but also illuminates the intricate connections between motion, energy, and the geometry of the universe.