Number of photons in a given space

[Bradfordly1]

Because they are massless, could you theoretically fit an infinite number of Photons into a small space? There is probably an equation that proves this wrong but I'm curious.

 

[DennisN]

Because they are massless, could you theoretically fit an infinite number of Photons into a small space?

Hmm, I do not think so. Photons have energy, and if you stack a sufficiently (VERY) large number of them together into a sufficiently small space, according to physics a black hole should form. EDIT: Actually I'm not really sure about this at the moment, I have to think about it... EDIT 2: I have thought about it, and I think I am correct .

 

[rootone]

I think the Pauli exclusion principle says that you can't have two particles having the same state in the same place at the same time,
Isn't that part of the definition of QM?

 

[DennisN]

I think the Pauli exclusion principle says that you can't have two particles having the same state in the same place at the same time, Isn't that part of the definition of QM?

That's for fermions (they can't have the same state). Photons, however, are bosons. Particles are divided into fermions and bosons, see e.g.

• The division into fermions and bosons
  
• Spin Classification - Fermions and Bosons

Bosons are particles which have integer spin and which therefore are not constrained by the Pauli exclusion principle like the half-integer spin fermions.

 

[Fervent Freyja]

Right, but Wikipedia states this is dependent upon temperature. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose–Einstein_statistics

 

[Drakkith]

Because they are massless, could you theoretically fit an infinite number of Photons into a small space? There is probably an equation that proves this wrong but I'm curious.

Whether or not an equation says it is possible, it obviously isn't possible in reality to set up a situation where you have an infinite number of photons in a finite amount of space.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Right, but Wikipedia states this is dependent upon temperature. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose–Einstein_statistics

I don't think that actually implies that the earlier statement is questionable. Is there a conflict?