If photons had S=0, not 1, what changes?

1. Feb 7, 2005

what_are_electrons

If photons have S=0, not 1, what changes?

If photons were realized to have Spin=0, then what would have to change?

Last edited by a moderator: Feb 8, 2005
2. Feb 8, 2005

dextercioby

How about HALF OF THE STANDARD MODEL...??How about ALL ELECTROMAGNETISM AT CLASSICAL LEVEL...??

Daniel.

P.S.I think QCD would be unaffected.Same with GR.

3. Feb 8, 2005

marlon

If you accept that photons can have spin 1,0,-1. Then your photon cannot be massless. The fact that a photon has NO spin = 0 has to do with the photonmass being equal to zero.

Keep in mind that those 1,0 and -1 values are not just the spin. They are the projection of the spin onto some axis (like the z-axis). The quantumnumber $$s_{z} = (+/-)s, (+/-)s-1, ..., 0$$ is the projection of s onto the z-axis.

marlon

4. Feb 8, 2005

what_are_electrons

If I read correctly, you've written that photons are currently defined to have spin = 0. The nice chart made by the SLAC people list the Photon as having a Spin = 1.

5. Feb 8, 2005

dextercioby

That's your problem.You didn't read correctly.You interpreted in an incorrect way the words written by Marlon...

Daniel.

6. Feb 8, 2005

marlon

Dextercioby is right. You did not read my post correctly. I said the exact opposite of what you are saying right here. Photons do NOT have spin 0

marlon

7. Feb 8, 2005

what_are_electrons

That's exactly why I asked for clarification. Thanks.