David C Lush Physics Papers

A Classical Explanation of Atomic Stability

Abstract:

An analysis of classical electromagnetic forces acting in a bound Hydrogen atom is presented, including forces due to orbital motion of intrinsic magnetic moments, and accounting for propagation delay between the atomic constituents. Orbital motion of the electron intrinsic magnetic moment is shown to result in a radial force on the proton that is not directly balanced by a similar force on the electron. Propagation delay of the force results in a non-radial aberrational component capable of negating the radiation resistance force expected from energy and momentum conservation principles. Radiative decay of the classical atom need thus not occur. It is shown that the electron-proton separation at which the aberrational and radiation resistive forces cancel is on the order of the Bohr ground state atomic radius. Finally, it is argued that this unbalanced force will give rise to oscillatory motions that may plausibly account for the apparent wave nature of the electron.

Keywords:

Aberration, classical atom, correspondence principle, intrinsic angular momentum,
Lienard-Wiechert potentials,
orbital angular momentum, radiative decay, radiation resistance, quantum
theory, spin, spin-orbit interaction

Link to PDF file

davelush@comcast.net

Scale Determination of the Hydrogen Atom from Spin-Orbit Interaction

Abstract:

The interaction between spin and orbital angular momenta in a classical-electrodynamics model of hydrogen is examined. Noting that stable atomic orbitals in the quantum mechanical model are those for which the total angular momentum is a constant of the motion, it is hypothesized that classical motions possessing constant total mechanical angular momentum may also be of interest. It is then shown for some simplified classical hydrogen models where only one of the constituent particles possesses spin and intrinsic magnetic moment, and for a particular relative spin-orbit orientation, that there is only one orbital radius where a necessary condition for angular momentum constancy is achievable. This orbital radius is shown to be of the same order as the ground state atomic radius as given by the Bohr atomic theory. Possible implications of this result are discussed.

Keywords:

Aberration, classical atom, correspondence principle, intrinsic angular momentum,
Lienard-Wiechert potentials,
orbital angular momentum, radiative decay, radiation resistance, quantum
theory, spin, spin-orbit interaction

Link to PDF file

davelush@comcast.net