Relativistic electromagnetic mass: application to electrons, photons and the hydrogen atom
LUÍS GUSTAVO COSTA REIS
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Resumo: In The Feynman Lectures on Physics, physicist Richard Feynman postulated that mass can originate, wholly or partially, from electromagnetic phenomena. Based on this premise, this paper develops a hypothesis about the electromagnetic origin of mass. Two postulates are proposed: (1) the electric and magnetic fields generated by a particle can be in or out of phase with each other; (2) the magnetic field, being a relativistic effect, occurs in the imaginary plane ($i$). Based on the postulates and general solutions of the electromagnetic wave equations applied to the electron, energy and mass were determined in both relativistic and non-relativistic contexts. In photons, the absence of rest energy and mass was demonstrated. The hypothesis, applied to the hydrogen atom, allowed the calculation of energy levels, spectral lines, and the Rydberg constant. Through variable transformations using the fine-structure constant, it was possible to express the energies associated with electromagnetic fields in terms of Planck's constant.
Palavras-chave: relativistic electromagnetic mass, hydrogen energy levels, Rydberg constant, fine structure constant.
Edição: Vol. 5 - Núm. 3 | DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17581054
