Is an electron a type of electromagnetic wave?

1. Jan 2, 2009

Nasher

In certain circumstances, when an electron collides with an anti-electron, the interaction produces two gamma photons.

The reverse process would be a gamma photon colliding with a gamma photon, such that the interaction produces an electron and anti-electron.

A gamma photon is a high energy electromagnetic transverse wave travelling at the speed-of-light.

The electron and anti-electron produced have a wave nature also, but it is not as the electromagnetic transverse wave of the photon travelling at the speed-of-light. The electron and anti-electron also have angular momentum. (An anti-electron similar but with asymmetries such as angular momentum to maintain its conservation.)

Is an electron be a form of electromagnetic wave that travels in some sort of rotational manner instead of the transverse manner that a photon travels in?

2. Jan 2, 2009

mgb_phys

Correct although there is nothing special about an electron - it's just the lightest common elementary particle. Higher energy photons could make other particle pairs.

Everything has a wave like nature. Golf balls have a wavelength which is why they are sometimes diffficult to localise.

No, all particles with a momentum have wavelike properties - it is not unique to photons.
This doesn't mean everything is a photon.

Last edited: Jan 2, 2009
3. Jan 2, 2009

Staff: Mentor

So that's why I'm such a lousy putter! The ball diffracts around the hole!

4. Jan 3, 2009

malawi_glenn

I guess so, I have the same problem

5. Jan 3, 2009

dlgoff

Have you tried doing the 2 hole experiment?