Wave - Particle Duality in Classical Gravitation Theory

Introduction

Trials of analysing a spherical light wave, which supposedly distorts as it interacts with a gravitational field is attempted with the assumption of a flat 4 dimensional space-time. Photons are produced as a result of annihilation of electron-positron pairs and are described by Bose-Einstein statistics. Huygens' wave theory principles are combined with the Newtonian corpuscular model of light as a stream of particles whose masses are subject to the laws of gravity. Efforts have been made to base the calculations on quantum statistical mechanics with a quantum mechanical expectation value for the Newtonian potential energy. A grand partition function has been used to describe the physical characteristics of the two resulting solutions:

1. closed form wave fronts similar to the Kepler orbits of Newtonian gravitational theory
2. open form "virtual" wave fronts similar to Coulomb repulsion in electromagnetic theory, e.g., Rutherford scattering of atomic nuclei.

These solutions correspond to the retarded and advanced potentials of electromagnetic theory.

A major focus of theoretical physics in the inter war years 1918 - 1939 was in establishing a bridge to unify the electromagnetic theories of Maxwell and Faraday with Einstein's theory of gravitation. An early attempt at this synthesis was the 5 dimensional geometry of Kaluza-Klein. Since then many theories of increasing complexity have been proposed, without much observational or experimental backing.



to be continued......