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What is the difference between the photon and the phonon ?
The discussion clarifies the fundamental differences between photons and phonons. Photons are defined as quanta of the electromagnetic field, while phonons are collective excitations of lattices in condensed matter. In Quantum Electrodynamics (QED), photons are treated as elementary particles, whereas phonons are always associated with underlying structures. The conversation also touches on the Action-At-A-Distance (AAAD) theory, which presents photons as quasiparticles in the absence of an electromagnetic field.
PREREQUISITESPhysicists, students of quantum mechanics, and researchers interested in the distinctions between electromagnetic phenomena and solid-state physics.
tom.stoer said:Photons are quanta (particles) of the electromanetic field; phonons are collective excitations (quasi particles) of lattices in condensed matter.
What do you have in mind? In QED photons are elementary particles, whereas phonons always consist of underlying structures.juanrga said:Photons can be also interpreted as quasi particles resulting from collective excitations. This is specially true in action-at-a-distance theory electrodynamics, where electromagnetic fields do not exist as material systems.
juanrga said:Photons can be also interpreted as quasi particles resulting from collective excitations. This is specially true in action-at-a-distance theory electrodynamics, where electromagnetic fields do not exist as material systems.
tom.stoer said:What do you have in mind? In QED photons are elementary particles, whereas phonons always consist of underlying structures.
jfy4 said:Do you mean something like a coherent state?
What is AAAD QED? Can you provide some explanations or references? How is this related to the original question which can be interpreted as a question regarding mainstream physics?juanrga said:In field-theoretic QED photons are the particles associated to the EM field. IN AAAD QED, there is not EM field and photons are quasiparticles
tom.stoer said:What is AAAD QED? Can you provide some explanations or references? How is this related to the original question which can be interpreted as a question regarding mainstream physics?
Sorry, my answer is approximately 99.999% of the modern picture; but what you propose is not 'the modern picture' at but definitely beyond standard (mainstream) physics. That does not mean that it's wrong, but it's definitely irrelevant for this thread and confusing for the OP.juanrga said:AAAD = Action-At-A-Distance
http://rmp.aps.org/abstract/RMP/v67/i1/p113_1
Because your answer is only a half of the modern picture...
tom.stoer said:Sorry, my answer is approximately 99.999% of the modern picture;
tom.stoer said:but what you propose is not 'the modern picture' at but definitely beyond standard (mainstream) physics.
tom.stoer said:That does not mean that it's wrong, but it's definitely irrelevant for this thread and confusing for the OP.
juanrga said:Agree again with you, the American Physical Society, and Reviews of Modern Physics are well-known non-mainstream resources.