QED Response of the Vacuum

Abstract

We present a new perspective on the link between quantum electrodynamics (QED) and Maxwell’s equations. We demonstrate that the interpretation of the electric displacement vector D = ε 0 E , where E is the electric field vector and ε 0 is the permittivity of the vacuum, as vacuum polarization is consistent with QED. A free electromagnetic field polarizes the vacuum, but the polarization and magnetization currents cancel giving zero source current. The speed of light is a universal constant, while the fine structure constant, which couples the electromagnetic field to matter runs, as it should.

The Speed of Light Predicts the Number of Lepton Families

“…The above calculation is compatible with quantum electrodynamics, as is also the calculation by Leuchs et al [33]. Now N(t) = N 0 e −Γ p−Ps t , where N 0 and N(t) are, respectively, the number of photonexcited parapositronium VFs at the initial time t = 0 and the later time t. It then follows that N(t)/N 0 = e −Γ p−Ps t is the probability that a photon-excited parapositronium VF has not decayed electromagnetically during a time t. The probability that photon-excited parapositronium VF has decayed during the time t is 1 − N(t)/N 0 = 1 − e −Γ p−Ps t .…”

The Pionic Deuterium and the Pion Tetrahedron Vacuum Polarization

“…The diverging vacuum polarization integral may be handled by effective running permittivity ( ) 0 r ε instead of renormalizing the electric charge [14]. The vacuum polarization one-loop Feynman diagram for an electron-positron pair is shown below as a reference for the proposed pion tetrahedron Td π vacuum polarization Feynman diagram (Figure 9).…”

Physical Mechanisms Underpinning the Vacuum Permittivity

“…Charge, linear momentum, and angular momentum are conserved, so annihilation of a photon is accompanied by creation of a particle-antiparticle pair, as illustrated in Figure 2. An important point for the goal of this study is that the current induced in the vacuum by the four-potential, A µ , due to virtual pairs can be expressed as [46]…”

“…This leads to a result that seems to be physically unreasonable: the photon mass is infinite [48], and the contribution of the virtual electron-positron pairs to the vacuum polarization diverges. However, on the other hand, this diverging vacuum susceptibility makes sense because of the screening of a point charge in a dielectric [46]. The observable, or effective charge, positioned in the vacuum is given by e 2 eff = e 2 bare /χ vac (k 2 , Λ).…”