EM radiation ==> Self propagating wave ?

[Sirandar]

Both Wikipedia and my educators called electromagnetic radiation a self propagating wave.


I would suggest that the word self be removed from wikipedia at least. There is no self in a wave. Even the word "coupled" or "causally related" are risky WRT the grav and mag components as I don't think anyone understands the coupling or causality.

Saying that EM is a wave-particle with grav and mag at right angles that can propgate in a vaccuum contains the same amount of real information and is more reflective of what is known IMO. (perp to line travel too)

Is there any merit to this thought?

[zhermes]

.... EM rad is a self-propagating wave. What's the problem?

I think any non-trivial solutions to laplace's equations are self-propagating waves.

[jtbell]

Saying that EM is a wave-particle with grav and mag at right angles

I think you meant "elec and mag" not "grav and mag".

[Sirandar]

I think you meant "elec and mag" not "grav and mag". Correct

[Sirandar]

.... EM rad is a self-propagating wave. What's the problem?

I think any non-trivial solutions to laplace's equations are self-propagating waves.

The self propagating term uses the word self to try to explain something that hasn't been explained properly. A wave has no self. They travel though a vaccuum because they do.

You could easily say that an EM has two functions that interconvert and this makes it self propagating, but seems to me that is cyclic thinking and I personally can't see how that explains how it can move through a vacuum.

Don't really know how wave A moves though space
Don't really know how wave B moves though space

Wave A creates Wave B and Wave B creates Wave A, so that explains how both waves move though space.

Just doesn't sit right

My 2 cents

[phyzguy]

The word "self" in this context doesn't imply any consciousness, but means the wave propagates "by itself" without the need for any interactions with anything else. We also use self in this context when we say something is "self-similar". Saying the Mandelbrot set is "self-similar" doesn't imply that it is a conscious being, just that it is similar to itself.

[Sirandar]

means the wave propagates without the need for any interactions with anything else

That definition fits