Pair Production Explained in a Hidden Variable Theory

Abstract

Problem- Pair production is a key component of mass-energy equivalence yet the deeper processes whereby photons transform into matter-antimatter pairs are unknown. Purpose- A theory is presented for the mechanics of pair production at the fundamental level. Approach- Physical realism was accepted at the outset. A theory was developed comprising internal structures (hidden variables) and discrete fields, called the Cordus theory. Logical inference was used to determine the mechanics for pair production under these assumptions. Findings- Particles are found to be defined by their field emissions, with rearrangement of those fields changing the particle’s identity. The process mechanics are extracted from the theory, and successfully applied to explain remanufacture of the evanescent discrete fields of the photon into the electric fields of the electron and antielectron. The mechanics also explains recoil dependency on photon polarisation. Surprisingly, it also provides a physically natural explanation for electron holes. Originality- The ability to set out a mechanics for pair production at the foundational level is a novel advancement, as is the ability to explain in a physically natural way why the causality involves angular orientations of the inputs (polarisation) and outputs (recoil). There is further novelty in achieving this from the non-local hidden-variable sector of physics. Implications- Annihilation, which is the inverse process, has also been demonstrated within this same framework. An ontological explanation for mass-energy equivalence is now available by assuming physical realism and that particles have internal structures. These explanations are logically consistent with the rest of the Cordus theory for other phenomena. The hidden-variable sector is shown to have yielded an alternative theory of fundamental physics with excellent explanatory power under physical realism. It provides novel insights into processes at the next deeper level of physics, and shows a candidate route to a new physics.