Do photons bounce off of each other?

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  • Thread starter Thread starter Usaf Moji
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the behavior of photons when they encounter each other, specifically whether they bounce off one another, pass through, combine, or exhibit other interactions. The scope includes theoretical considerations and implications of photon interactions in various contexts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether photons would behave like billiard balls and bounce off each other, pass through, or combine in some manner.
  • One participant notes that photon-photon scattering is possible but typically occurs in extreme fields.
  • Another participant suggests that photons usually behave as waves, leading to interference patterns rather than collisions.
  • It is proposed that photons could potentially become a particle/antiparticle pair, although they typically continue on their paths without interaction.
  • A participant references a recent thread for additional context or related discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the interactions of photons, with no consensus reached on how they behave when encountering one another.

Contextual Notes

Some claims depend on specific conditions, such as the strength of fields involved, and the discussion does not resolve the complexities of photon interactions.

Usaf Moji
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What would happen if a photon moving in one direction were to meet another photon moving in a perpendicular direction? Would they behave like billiard balls and bounce off each other, would they just pass through each other, would they combine together somehow and move in some new direction, or something else?
 
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Photon-Photon scattering is possible but this effect is observable in fields of extreme strength.
 
Usaf Moji said:
What would happen if a photon moving in one direction were to meet another photon moving in a perpendicular direction? Would they behave like billiard balls and bounce off each other, would they just pass through each other, would they combine together somehow and move in some new direction, or something else?

They would usually behave as waves and create interference patterns instead.
 
They could become a particle/antiparticle pair too. But ordinarily they'd go about their merry business.
 

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