Gamma Rays and Atomic Nuclei

Gamma rays are known to spontaneously produce electron-positron pair when inside a strong electric field, specifically the strong electrically field of massive atomic nuclei.

The official explanation is that virtual electron-positron pairs somehow get transformed into real electron-positron pairs by this magic mix of gamma-rays and high voltage fields.

My explanation is that the gamma rays tend to explode when they com into direct contact with massive atomic nuclei. The field has nothing to do with it because photons do not interact strongly with electric fields. Photons produce electric fields by the communication of distortion.

A gamma ray is hardly likely to be much impressed by a distorted low energy photon that happens to cross its path. The gamma ray is hugely larger than the low energy photons carrying the electrical force. It is unlikely to have much trouble absorbing a bit of distortion.

However, a collision with an atomic nucleus would have some serious consequences for a high energy photon.

Gamma rays are as big as photons get. They are enormously stretched, and cannot stretch much more without exploding. If stretched beyond their limit, they break apart. The tiny package of six quanta pop into two relatively huge particles like a maize corn pops into a big fluffy corn when in hot oil.

When a gamma ray strikes a massive atomic nucleus in such a way that it must yield most of its energy to the nucleus, the gamma ray has a huge problem. The nucleus has inertia. It resists change to its energy level. It takes time to transfer energy from the gamma ray to the nucleus. But the gamma ray cannot slow down. It has therefore no choice but to stretch while the transfer of energy takes place, and sometimes, this leads to the gamma ray tearing itself apart, thereby producing an electron-positron pair.