Is the Total Momentum in QED Actually Total Angular Momentum?

AJ Bentley
Messages
667
Reaction score
0
I was just reading a text on QED that equates the vector potential to electrodynamic momentum using the de Broglie relationship.
At a later stage, the current flow in a conductor is predicted by considering the total momentum of the charge in relation to the electrodynamic.
Everything works out and it all fits.

But when I look at the dimensions, I find that the electrodynamic part has the units of angular momentum. Whereas the total momentum is of course, well, I assume it's momentum.

Is this valid? can I simply add angular and linear momentum and equate that total to wavenumber.

Or is it that the total momentum being considered in the text is in actual fact the total angular momentum? Presumably the author felt it too obvious to mention?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
AJ Bentley said:
I was just reading a text on QED that equates the vector potential to electrodynamic momentum using the de Broglie relationship.

reference please.

But when I look at the dimensions, I find that the electrodynamic part has the units of angular momentum. Whereas the total momentum is of course, well, I assume it's momentum.

Is this valid?

reference please.

Or is it that the total momentum being considered in the text is in actual fact the total angular momentum? Presumably the author felt it too obvious to mention?

Reference please.

How can anyone have a clue how to answer you correctly, AJ, if you haven't given the derivation OR the reference??

...
 
Many texts refer to angular momentum simply as 'momentum'.
 
Thank you, that's what I thought.
(The actual context of the question isn't important Creator - there's no point anyone delving into the text)
 
Last edited:
I am not sure if this falls under classical physics or quantum physics or somewhere else (so feel free to put it in the right section), but is there any micro state of the universe one can think of which if evolved under the current laws of nature, inevitably results in outcomes such as a table levitating? That example is just a random one I decided to choose but I'm really asking about any event that would seem like a "miracle" to the ordinary person (i.e. any event that doesn't seem to...

Similar threads

Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
18
Views
3K
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
23
Views
2K
Back
Top