Re: Isn't this better described as 'aether'?

"greywolf42" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Laurent <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > "greywolf42" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > Perion <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > >
> > > > "greywolf42" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > > > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> {snip higher levels}
>
> > > gw:
> > > 100 years ago this same problem was called the ultraviolet
> > catastrophe.
> > >
> > > etc......
> > >
> > > Laurent:
> > > > There may be some shortest possible wave, and then the total
> > > > number of waves would be finite and the energy would also be
> > finite.
> > > > Now, you have to ask what would be the shortest length
> > >
> > > gw:
> > > To answer this question, one must know why such a shortest
wave
> > would exist.
> > > ===============================
> > >
> > > The QM version  ultraviolet catastrophe has still not been
solved.
> > Bohm
> > > sidestepped the issue.
> > >
> > > Why should a shortest wave exist?
>
> {snip polemic on creation and the big bang}
>
> > In the early 1900's, German physicist E. Planck noticed fatal
flaw
> > in our physics by demonstrating that the electron in orbit
around
> > the nucleus accelerates. Acceleration means a changing electric
> > field (the electron has charge), when means photons should be
> > emitted. But, then the electron would lose energy and fall into
the
> > nucleus. Therefore, atoms shouldn't exist!
>
> That wasn't Planck.  Planck did a curve fit on the blackbody
radiation
> curve.
>
> > According to classical physics, an electron in orbit around an
> > atomic nucleus should emit electromagnetic radiation (photons)
> > continuosly, because it is continually accelerating in a curved
> > path. The resulting loss of energy implies that the electron
should
> > spiral into the nucleus in a very short time (i.e. atoms can not
> > exist).
>
> This is one of the common physics myths.  However, this is not
correct,
> because there are stable configurations that arise due to the
self-impedance
> of the electron.  These locations are where the Poynting vector is
in phase
> quadrature -- and the energy flows into and out of the local
E-field
> cyclicly.
>
> > To resolve this problem, Planck made a wild assumption that
energy,
> > at the sub-atomic level, can only be transfered in small units,
> > called quanta.
>
> Again, Planck made a curve fit to the blackbody curve.  He was not
working
> with electron orbitals.
>
> > Due to his insight, we call this unit Planck's constant (h).
>
> It wasn't due to his insight.  It was due to his being the first
to do the
> curve fit.
>
> > The word quantum derives from quantity and refers to a
> > small packet of action or process, the smallest unit of either
that
> > can be associated with a single event in the microscopic world.
> >
> > Changes of energy, such as the transition of an electron from
one
> > orbit to another around the nucleus of an atom, is done in
discrete
> > quanta. Quanta are not divisible and the term quantum leap
refers to
> > the abrupt movement from one discrete energy level to another,
with
> > no smooth transition. There is no "inbetween''.
>
> What you mean to say is that QM cannot describe what happens
in-between.
> This is not the same as 'there is no in-between.'
>
> > The quantization, or "jumpiness'' of action as depicted in
quantum
> > physics differs sharply from classical physics which represented
> > motion as smooth, continuous change. Quantization limits the
energy
> > to be transfered to photons and resolves the UV catastrophe
problem.
> >
> > The Bohr model basically assigned discrete orbits for the
electron,
> > multiples of Planck's constant, rather than allowing a continuum
of
> > energies as allowed by classical physics.
>
> Now that you've written all those irrelevant words, can you answer
the
> question:
>
> Why should a shortest wave exist?
>
> greywolf42
> ubi dubium ibi libertas
>
>

If you take a careful look at the bottom of my previous post, where
I quoted Baez, you may realize that the size of the shortest wave
depends and it's determined by the speed of light.

--
Laurent