Accelerating Charges & Light: Massless Particles

[cragar]

If accelerating charges emit light. Then would this imply that mass less particle could not emit light because they cannot accelerate?

 

[chrisbaird]

Actually, massless particles must always travel at the speed of light, but they can still accelerate. Acceleration is speed plus direction. Thus if their speed can't change, their direction can still change, meaning they can still accelerate. Think of the massless photon bending around a star as it experiences gravitational lensing.

The more correct statement is that chargeless particles don't emit light without decaying and massless particles tend to be chargeless.

 

[cragar]

Interesting, forgot about that part of acceleration. but if a massless particle had charge it could emit light.

 

[vanesch]

In fact, there are good reasons to assume that electrically charged particles cannot be massless. At least in the standard model, there aren't any.

 

[sardar]

The concept of massless particles emitting light is a complex and ongoing topic of research in the field of physics. While it is true that according to classical mechanics, massless particles cannot accelerate, the theory of relativity introduces the concept of mass-energy equivalence, where even massless particles can have energy and momentum. This means that although they may not have a rest mass, they can still have a non-zero energy and therefore can interact with other particles and emit light.

In fact, photons, which are the particles that make up light, are considered to be massless according to the standard model of particle physics. Yet, they can still be accelerated by electric and magnetic fields, and as a result, they can emit light. This is known as the electromagnetic radiation produced by accelerating charges.

Therefore, the idea that massless particles cannot emit light is not accurate. However, it is important to note that the behavior of massless particles, such as photons, is governed by the laws of quantum mechanics rather than classical mechanics. This means that their behavior may not always follow our intuitive understanding of how particles with mass behave.

In conclusion, the relationship between accelerating charges and light emission is a complex and fascinating area of study, and the existence of massless particles does not prevent them from emitting light. Further research and experiments are needed to fully understand the behavior of these particles and their role in the emission of light.