Photon Reflection
By: Thomas Lee Abshier, ND
- In photon reflection, the incoming photon collides with an interface where there
is a discontinuity of mediums (e.g. vacuum to metal). At this interface, the energy
being carried by space attempts to transfer to a metallic media.
o The photon possesses the following properties:
§ A forward-directed kinetic energy field corresponding to the increment of kinetic
energy field lost by the originating electron.
§ An E and B field polarizing space in a direction transverse (perpendicular) to
the direction of travel of the photon.
o When the photon collides with the reflecting surface, the photon behaves as though
it is composed of energy with two perpendicular components:
§ 1. A component traveling perpendicular to the surface of the interface
§ 2. A component traveling parallel to the surface of the interface
o Each of these two energetic components will have their own effect on the electron
orbitals.
§ The perpendicular energetic component will deform the electron orbital in a direction
perpendicular to the interface.
§ The parallel energetic component may not interact with the surface at all.
- Note: if the photon does penetrate, then the horizontal component will deform the
electron orbital in a direction parallel to the interface, and if the media is transparent
to this frequency, the photon will refract. That is, it will travel through the
media at a different speed than through the original media, and hence bend.
o If the horizontal component does not engage, the perpendicular energetic component
is reflected.
§ The perpendicular energy vector induces a field countering the velocity imparted
to the orbital electron.
§ This counter-field reflects backward and re-generates the photonic energy flowing
in the opposite direction.
§ The incoming photonic energy is the equivalent in response to the collision of
a small hard rubber ball as it is thrown against a cement wall. The wall and ball
compress and recoil.
§ The photon is attempting to transmit its energy into the metal surface, but the
metallic conduction layer electrons do not move as rapidly as the incoming photon.
Thus, the metal generates a perpendicular reaction field in response to the incoming
photon.
§ The parallel component reconnects, and reforms with the reflected portion of the
photon. Thus, the reflected perpendicular component of energy, and the parallel
component leave the reflective media, and the photon returns to its path through
the vacuum.
§ The reflective media gains two units of momentum to compensate for the reversal
of momentum of the photon. Momentum is conserved.
§ The reflective medium gains an increment of kinetic energy corresponding to its
added momentum. The photon rebounds having lost an increment of kinetic energy,
and hence has a lower frequency that corresponds to having reflected off a receding
surface. Kinetic Energy is conserved.
o Photons can reflect off a smooth metallic and a non-metallic surface. But, light
does not reflect off non-metallic surfaces with as much intensity at all angles of
incidence. We shall explore the factors that govern why these two media differ in
their reflectivity.
§ The transition metal’s outer orbitals are so far away from the nucleus, and shielded
by so many internal electrons, that the increments of energy between each allowable
orbital are close to the theoretical minimum.
§ These electrons are called the “conduction band” electrons. The conduction band
electrons can carry any energy in a broad range between ground level and ionization.
As a result, the conduction band electrons will absorb and can carry virtually any
energy increment in that band of energies.
§ When a small increment of energy is applied to the metal, that energy will flow
from orbital to orbital, and conduct the energy that is put into the first orbital
electron.
§ The broad range of kinetic energies that the conduction band orbitals can carry
allows the electrons to take the kinetic energy field impressed on the first orbital
electron in the media, and transfer that energy from orbital to orbital.
§ In an orbital system with a large band gap, the kinetic energy field of the orbital
is constrained to follow the orbital path of the electron. But, in the conduction
band, that restriction is lifted.
§ The kinetic energy field (which carries the inertia, momentum, kinetic energy of
a mass) travels straight. Bending this energy around the orbital path is a trick,
a special case; it happens only because of the restrictions of quantum mechanics.
§ Because the conduction electrons can carry such a broad range of energies, and
because they are packed so close together in the metallic lattice, the kinetic energy
field can radiate between conduction band orbital electrons in the lattice and track
a straighter path through the metal.
§ If a metallic atom were to be isolated, and given a unit of kinetic energy, then
it would merely rise to that level of activation, and stay there until the random
forces of decay triggered the release of that unit of energy, and a photon was released.
§ But, if the metal atoms were tightly packed in a lattice, then the locations where
that energy could be associated with an orbital electron are almost fully uniform
throughout the lattice. Thus, a unit of kinetic energy applied to a metallic lattice
can be applied at any point in the lattice, and the energy of that unit will conduct
straight through at a significant fraction of the vacuum speed of light.
§ Non-metals do not conduct a unit of energy applied to their bulk in this manner.
The non-metals have significant energetic gaps between their subsequent activation
energy levels, and an increment of energy applied to a non-metallic element is captured
and cannot move freely through the media once captured. It can re-radiate that energy
as a photon, but it will not flow in a linear manner through the media as a kinetic
energy.
o Thus, when a photon enters the non-metallic media it is in essence completely consumed
and locked in place. Such a photon would not reflect since it has been absorbed.
o When a photon enters a metallic media, the energy of the photon makes a small penetration
into the conduction band electrons. The movement is so rapid, and the hold on any
one unit of kinetic energy field is so small, that the electron is accelerated into
the metallic media.
§ Thus, the initial impact of the photon on the conduction electrons accelerates
the conduction electrons, which produces a reaction field against the acceleration.
§ In a normal mass impacting mass collision, the acceleration of the conduction band
electron would create a backward directed E field that would repel the incoming mass.
§ The following elements are included in a collision that transfers and reflects
energy.
- The incoming mass applies a force on the target.
- This accelerate the target.
- The motion of the target produces a backward-directed forced E and B field as per
Lenz’s law.
- The back directed field decelerates the incoming mass.
- The process of forward force, and backward reaction proceeds. The relative mass
of the two colliding objects determines the final velocity of the two masses.
- If the masses are equal, the energy is transferred completely; the first mass comes
to rest, and the increment of energy carried by mass 1 is now carried by mass 2.
- If mass 1 is lighter, it will rebound and mass 2 will go forward at a small speed.
- If mass 1 is much much much lighter (e.g. a golf ball hitting a cement wall), then
the velocity of mass 2 is undetectable, and the velocity of mass 1 is reversed, and
virtually the same magnitude as its velocity before impact. (This is the situation
analogous to photon collision and reflection.)
- If mass 1 is much heavier than mass 2, then much of the energy after the collision
is retained in mass 1
§ Energy transfer in Photon Reflection: There is no incoming mass associated with
the photon, but it nevertheless has a kinetic energy field. Thus, when the energy
of the photon strikes and accelerates the electron, it a system equivalent to a very
low mass system striking a very high mass system.
- The accelerated electron produces a field opposing the direction of the incoming
photon.
- The reactive field is based on the acceleration of the electron, not its velocity.
Thus, very little movement need be generated by the collision for the electron to
generate a strong reactive field. In fact, since the photon is traveling at the
speed of light, it will be producing a maximum change of velocity, and change if
field, within a few moments (compared to the length of time the forces in a collision
would build up).
- The result of creating a back-directed field opposing the incoming photon, is the
creation of a vertically directed photon moving in 180 opposition to the original
incoming photon.
- The net effect is to create a photon, a unit of kinetic energy field unassociated
with mass, moving back out of the metal, and taking the parallel unit of energy with
it. In other words, the vertical portion of the photon reflects, and the parallel
portion of the photon continues on, rejoined with the portion that is reverse directed.
o In the case of non-metallic reflection, the perpendicular component of the photon’s
energy impacts the surface in such a way as to accelerate the electrons at the interface
in a manner similar to the metallic interface.
§ In the case of non-metallic reflection, the photon strikes ordinary orbital electrons,
not-conduction band. The effect is identical; the vertical component of the photon
accelerates the electron in the non-metallic media. The electron creates a back-directed
kinetic energy field against the incoming photon. There is no mass to slow down,
only the field, so the energy cannot be returned back against an incoming mass to
slow it down. The reverse photon energy radiates and rejoins the parallel energy
component of the photon and reconstructs the photon, bouncing off with the angle
bisected by the normal to the surface.
§ The difference between the metallic reflection and non-metallic reflection is that
at all angles of incidence the photon reflects well from the metal. This is because
there are an abundance of conduction band electrons available to strike, regardless
of the angle of incidence.
§ In the case of the non-metallic conductor, the angle from vertical changes the
number and availability of electrons that the incoming photon may strike. Thus,
at angles farther from vertical/normal to the surface, the reflection from non metallic
substances drops significantly.
- Since there is no surface level reaction to the photon, creating the reflected normal
component of photonic energy, the photon penetrates deeper into the substance before
it hits an electron to move. But, at that point the photon is within the media,
and the horizontal velocity is driving the photon through the length of the substance.
As a result, it will likely soon collide with an electron which is capable of absorbing
the photonic energy in an activated orbital system.
- The same type of deformation, and lack of reflection due to the internal capture
of the photonic energy occurs on any roughed surface.
- Thus, at angles of incidence close to perpendicular to the surface, where most of
energy is directed at deforming the orbital electrons, there is the greatest chance
of creating a large momentary acceleration of an electron, and the creation of a
reactionary field opposing this force, with the subsequent formation of a reflected
photon.
