Freezing Light: Exploring the Equilibrium of Mass and Energy in Photons

[paul turbine]

Is it possible to freeze light? What does frozen light 'look like'?

Are photons examples of mass and energy in perfect equilibrium?

Do processes take place within photons to maintain a perfect balance between mass and energy, and if so what are those processes and how do they relate to E=mc2 if the light has been frozen?

 

[ZapperZ]

You might want to start by reading this:

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/18724

I have no idea what is meant by "mass and energy in perfect equilibrium". The term "equilibrium" has a specific meaning in physics. I'm not sure how you are using it.

Zz.

 

[paul turbine]

By equilibrium, I mean matter and energy within the photon maintaining a state of balance relative to one another, such that the photons mass cannot exceed for example a Planck unit.

If the mass of the photon were too high, that would prevent the photon from traveling at light speed.

So I use the term equilibrium not as a term of art, but to describe some sort of balancing act going on between the mass and energy in the photon, so as to allow something with mass to travel at light speed.

 

[paul turbine]

Being more precise about equilibrium, why not call it E=mc2, where the energy in the photon maintains a perfect state of equilibrium with its mass x C x C. That would be a tiny mass and a lot of energy.

 

[San K]

Is it possible to freeze light? What does frozen light 'look like'?

Are photons examples of mass and energy in perfect equilibrium?

Do processes take place within photons to maintain a perfect balance between mass and energy, and if so what are those processes and how do they relate to E=mc2 if the light has been frozen?

Photon has zero rest mass, not sure what you mean...

 

[ZapperZ]

Being more precise about equilibrium, why not call it E=mc2, where the energy in the photon maintains a perfect state of equilibrium with its mass x C x C. That would be a tiny mass and a lot of energy.

Please read the PF FAQ thread in the General Physics forum.

Zz.

 

[maverick_starstrider]

Being more precise about equilibrium, why not call it E=mc2, where the energy in the photon maintains a perfect state of equilibrium with its mass x C x C. That would be a tiny mass and a lot of energy.

Photons have no mass and can always be said to travel at the speed of light in a vacuum (c). The fact that light can be slower in a medium is an artifact of the accumulated delay associated with scattering effects rather than some actual intrinsic "slowing" of light.