Re-evaluating the Mass Status of Photons in the Context of Particle Definition: Dynamic Particle with Negative Apparent Mass.

Soumendra Nath Thakur 

April 18, 2025

The commonly cited statement—“The photon has no mass, but it is a particle”—raises a fundamental inconsistency when examined through the lens of foundational physical principles.

In the broader framework of physical sciences, the designation of any entity as a “particle” traditionally presumes the presence of either a "real mass" or an "effective mass". Absent such a characteristic, the term “particle” becomes physically ambiguous. This is particularly relevant in advanced frameworks like Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM), which seeks to reconcile and extend classical and relativistic insights.

ECM introduces the concept of negative apparent mass (−Mᵃᵖᵖ), a form of effective mass that corresponds to kinetic energy, particularly in massless or near-massless regimes. Under this interpretation, photons—entities which exhibit kinetic behaviour—are understood to possess dynamic effective mass, even in the absence of rest mass.

Additionally, it is important to distinguish between "rest energy"—associated with "rest mass"—and kinetic energy (KE). which does not equate to rest energy under the relativistic mass-energy relation. This distinction has significant implications for the interpretation of photon behaviour and classification.

Therefore, within the ECM framework, the photon is more accurately described as a dynamic particle with negative apparent mass. This terminology reflects both its energy-based behaviour and its mass-related characteristics in motion.

If a photon were to lose its dynamism (i.e., kinetic expression), it would simultaneously lose the characteristics that define its particle-like behaviour, leading to a loss of existence in that form.

Finally, the term “massless particle,” while common in conventional discourse, may be considered incomplete. A more accurate description would treat the photon's effective mass as less than zero (<0) rather than strictly zero. This nuanced reinterpretation allows for a consistent and complete understanding of the photon's physical nature.

Unified Wave Behaviour: Energy Loss and Misinterpretations of Time Dilation

Soumendra Nath Thakur

April 17, 2025

One may have misunderstood the fundamental nature of waves. A wave—whether sound or electromagnetic—is always a carrier of energy. It transfers energy from one point to another, regardless of the medium involved. This makes the core properties of all waves the same: they possess frequency, wavelength, energy, and velocity.

If a wave encounters a medium, it may lose energy—this applies to both sound and electromagnetic waves. For instance, sound waves lose energy due to dissipation in air, while electromagnetic waves can lose energy when distorted by external influences such as gravitational or mechanical forces. In this view, a gravitational field acts as an energy-modifying medium for light, just as air does for sound.

Therefore, energy loss is a common feature for both sound and electromagnetic waves. In relativistic interpretations, energy loss in light is often attributed to time dilation. However, similar considerations should apply to sound waves: energy dissipation in air could also be interpreted as a kind of temporal distortion. Thus, time dilation should not be seen as a phenomenon exclusive to light—it can conceptually apply to sound as well when viewed from the standpoint of energy dynamics. Its time distortion.

In essence, frequency, wavelength, energy, and velocity are the intrinsic properties of all waves. These can be altered by environmental or external factors—whether that’s a physical medium like air or a field like gravity.

Moreover, the Lorentz transformation applies to objects moving at speeds approaching the speed of light, but not at the speed of light itself. Therefore, applying time dilation (as derived from Lorentz transformations) directly at the speed of light is inconsistent with the original framework. If relativity states that time ‘stops’ at the speed of light, then invoking time dilation at light speed becomes logically contradictory. Redshift in electromagnetic waves should be recognized as an outcome of energy loss, not merely an effect of time dilation. The redshift of light—like the redshift of sound—reflects changes in energy and frequency, not necessarily changes in the flow of time.

Application of Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM) – In Brief.

April 16, 2025.

Soumendra Nath Thakur

Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM), while rooted in the principles of classical mechanics, introduces the concept of apparent mass—particularly negative apparent mass—to reinterpret force, energy, and motion in both gravitational and quantum domains. This extension allows ECM to explore and resolve questions that lie beyond the traditional scope of classical mechanics.

1. Cosmic Expansion

2. Superluminal Motion and the Hubble Radius 

3. Gravitational Dynamics

4. Gravitational Interactions of Massless Particles (e.g., photons with negative apparent mass)  

5. Energy Dynamics in Gravitational Fields  

6. Integration with Quantum Mechanics (e.g., energy-frequency relations, quantum transitions)  

7. Energy–Frequency Relationship (including high-frequency limits beyond Planck scale)  

8. Bridging Classical and Quantum Mechanics through effective mass, dynamic inertia, and gravitational coupling  

Through these applications, ECM provides a unified mechanics-based approach capable of addressing phenomena such as antigravity, entropy-time consistency, and wave-particle dynamics—questions that classical mechanics alone cannot resolve.

Redefining Time: From Local Constructs to the Emergence of Cosmic Temporality:

Soumendra Nath Thakur 

April 15, 2025

Why should we be confined to choosing between the classical mechanics notion of absolute time and the relativistic model of time dilation—both of which are fundamentally local interpretations—when cosmology offers a broader, more consistent perspective of time? Cosmological evolution presents time as a universal, emergent phenomenon intrinsically linked to the unfolding of existence itself. In this view, space and time arise together through existential events that shape the structure of the universe.

Clock time, then, is not a standalone measure of time itself, but rather a localized physical manifestation of cosmic time. It is expressed through the stable frequency of the caesium atom, calibrated under specific gravitational conditions near sea level to minimize deformation and prevent time distortion. This standardization reflects a localized gravitational context but should not be mistaken for the totality of time’s nature.

Ultimately, it is the emergence of existence—the existential event—that gives rise to the very concept of time, free from local constraints or observational bias.

ECM-Based Rebuttal on the Gravitational Nature and Weight of Massless Waves:

Soumendra Nath Thakur

April 14, 2025

The assertion that “some waves with no mass undergo a kind of gravity” is more meaningfully addressed within the framework of Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM). In ECM, a positive massless particle—such as the photon, a gauge boson and carrier of the electromagnetic force—does not possess a positive matter mass (in fact, Mᴍ < 0), but instead carries a dynamic negative apparent mass (−Mᵃᵖᵖ). This combination results in a negative effective mass (Mᵉᶠᶠ < 0).

Therefore, the claim that “some waves with no mass” is accurate by conventional standards is actually incomplete. ECM refines this understanding: photons, while traditionally labelled as massless, are not devoid of gravitational character. Instead, they exhibit antigravitational behaviour precisely due to their negative apparent mass (−Mᵃᵖᵖ) corresponding to negative effective mass (Mᵉᶠᶠ < 0). In this model, positive massless particles like photons actively interact with gravity, but in a repulsive manner—due to their own inherent antigravitational nature.

Additionally, the further assertion regarding the “existence of weight of waves”— termed as the “gravity of wave”—is inconsistent within conventional physics. The classical formula for weight is (W = mg), where (m) is mass and (g) is the gravitational acceleration. Weight is defined as a force and is measured in Newtons (N). Therefore, any entity with zero mass cannot possess weight, by definition.

However, ECM provides a more nuanced insight. Since photons possess a dynamic negative apparent mass (−Mᵃᵖᵖ) and a negative matter mass (Mᴍ < 0), they do not follow the conventional gravitational attraction model. Instead, they exhibit repulsive antigravitational effects, leading to negative weight.

The gravitational mass in ECM is represented by the effective mass:

Mᵉᶠᶠ = Mᴍ + (−Mᵃᵖᵖ)

For positive massless particles (like photons), within a gravitational influence, this becomes:

Mᵉᶠᶠ = (−Mᵃᵖᵖ) + (−Mᵃᵖᵖ)

Outside gravitational influence, it simplifies to:

Mᵉᶠᶠ = −Mᵃᵖᵖ

Given that ECM defines gravitational force (or weight) as:

W = Mᵉᶠᶠ × g

then for a photon within a gravitational field:

W = (−Mᵃᵖᵖ −Mᵃᵖᵖ) × g = −2Mᵃᵖᵖ × g < 0

This clearly represents negative weight, which cannot be accommodated in classical physics but is a natural outcome in ECM.

In conclusion, your statement regarding the gravitational behaviour of massless waves lacks precision in light of ECM. ECM not only explains how such particles can have gravitational interactions but also demonstrates that these interactions are antigravitational in nature, with corresponding negative effective mass and negative gravitational weight.

References: 

(1) Thakur,  S. N. (2024). Extended Classical Mechanics: Vol-1 - Equivalence Principle, Mass and Gravitational Dynamics. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.1190.v2

(2) Thakur,  S. N. (2024). Photon Dynamics in Extended Classical Mechanics: Effective Mass, Negative Inertia, Momentum Exchange and Analogies with Dark Energy. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.1797.v1

(3)Thakur,  S. N. (2024). A Nuanced Perspective on Dark Energy: Extended Classical Mechanics. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.2325.v1

(4) Thakur,  S. N. (2024). A Symmetry and Conservation Framework for Photon Energy Interactions in Gravitational Fields. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202411.0956.v1

(5) Thakur,  Soumendra Nath (2025). Mass-Energy Transformations in Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM): Reframing Kinetic Energy, Analysis of −Mᵃᵖᵖ, Gravitational Interaction, and the Role of Frequency in Mass-Energy Dynamics. ResearchGate. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24863.27040

(6) Thakur,  Soumendra Nath (2025). Mathematical Derivation of Frequency Shift and Phase Transition in Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM). ResearchGate. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.36663.02721