These low energy photons must be everywhere, and act very much like gas molecules, only at a far smaller scale. The low energy photons find their way into everything, including the space that separates an atom's electrons from its nucleus.
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| Electron surrounded by low energy photons and neutrinos |
As far as behavior goes, the gas molecule analogy is useful, and we can make some predictions based on it. A box containing an empty vacuum must for instance have an internal pressure. Photons bouncing around inside of it exert pressure outwards.
This pressure is far smaller than the outside gas pressure, and can never be properly detected as such. But an experiment can be set up to measure the pressure inside the box itself.
We are all familiar with suction cups. Given a smooth surface, they will stick. Outside air pressure keeps suction cups from releasing their grip on the surface to which they are attached.
A similar setup can be made inside a vacuum. Two objects with very smooth surfaces can be put so close to each other that no photon can get in between them. Photons at the outside of the objects will then exert a force on them to push them together.
The force should be relatively weak. Its exact strength depends on how densely packed the universe is with photons as well as the temperature of the vacuum. The hotter the vacuum, the more energetic the photons, and the more pressure there should be on the two objects.
Interestingly, a very similar prediction was made by Hendrik Casimir in 1948. However, his prediction was based on quantum field theory. It got the name the Casimir Effect and was first verified in a laboratory experiment in 1958.
What was detected was a relatively weak force. This is contrary to Casimir's prediction of a strong force, and therefore more in line with our prediction. Yet, Casimir was nevertheless credited for having been right.
This pressure is far smaller than the outside gas pressure, and can never be properly detected as such. But an experiment can be set up to measure the pressure inside the box itself.
We are all familiar with suction cups. Given a smooth surface, they will stick. Outside air pressure keeps suction cups from releasing their grip on the surface to which they are attached.
A similar setup can be made inside a vacuum. Two objects with very smooth surfaces can be put so close to each other that no photon can get in between them. Photons at the outside of the objects will then exert a force on them to push them together.
The force should be relatively weak. Its exact strength depends on how densely packed the universe is with photons as well as the temperature of the vacuum. The hotter the vacuum, the more energetic the photons, and the more pressure there should be on the two objects.
Interestingly, a very similar prediction was made by Hendrik Casimir in 1948. However, his prediction was based on quantum field theory. It got the name the Casimir Effect and was first verified in a laboratory experiment in 1958.
What was detected was a relatively weak force. This is contrary to Casimir's prediction of a strong force, and therefore more in line with our prediction. Yet, Casimir was nevertheless credited for having been right.
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