A photonic toroidal vortex model of the hydrogen atom fine structure
摘要
The calculation of the fine structure hydrogen energy levels for both the classical Sommerfeld and the quantum mechanical Dirac models relies on the specification of an external potential. However, recent experimental evidence has shown that electrons can adopt quantized orbital states even when there is no external potential. So a revised approach is required and suggested. Using the latest research on optical spin angular momentum (SAM) and optical orbital angular momentum (OAM), a novel reworking of the classical Sommerfeld model is carried out in terms of a photonic toroidal vortex (PTV). A construction for both an electron and proton mass is presented based on OAM, the difference being only one of scale. When the OAM is curved into a PTV, an internal potential can be defined for the orbiting electron based on the toroidal rotation energy. Using an electron and a proton both in the form of a PTV, a bound-state model of the hydrogen atom can be formed. An opportunity presents itself to define concepts such as mass, magnetic momentum, and electric momentum in terms of the poloidal and toroidal rotations of a PTV. A derivation of Coulomb’s law is given using vector line integrals. Fine structure energy states are given for the first six states of each of the following