Karl Shah-Jenner wrote: > Someone can usually provide a sensible explanation "Robert G. Earnest" wrote: > Do photons really wave as they roll by? That's a very deep question Robert. Since it has long been shown that photons can exhibit both wave and particle behaviour, you question is, in essence, "can they exhibit both at once?". The answer to this is yes, and no. And that is quite definite. According to Quantum Electrodynamics, the behaviour of photons (electrons, and other particles) can be totally explained by them being particles. Interestingly enough, it also explains why (not simply that) an oxygen atom combines with 2 hydrogen atoms to form water (whether solid, liquid, or gassious). But of perhaps the most interest to photographers it explains a method for refraction and diffraction that does not rely on vavelike behaviour. (Newton's fans may start a mexican wave now.) It cannot explain, but does provide a method for calculating partial reflection from the front and rear surface of (say) a mirror. What is interesting about partial reflection is that the amount reflected from the front surface depends on the thickness of the piece of glass. If you don't think that is weird, then you haven't thought about it long enough. Photographers DO take advantage of the way that partial reflection is affected by thickness with the use of coatings on lens surfaces. So, my answer to you Robert, sadly, has to be NO. I'm afraid that I cannot be convinced on the evidence and the well tested theoretical description of the actions of a photon by QED to envisage that a photon would be a wave (as opposed to exhibiting wave-like behaviour) as it passes by. Steve
