Why cutting a photon creates infinitely more particles, not smaller ones
By
Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
The bagel they save for the regulars. Don't skim, savour.
Summary
This article explores the theoretical physics concept of what would happen if one tried to cut an elementary particle like a photon. Drawing a parallel to the Hydra of Lerna from Greek mythology, it explains that photons cannot be divided into smaller pieces. Unlike composite particles such as protons (which can be split into quarks), elementary particles have no smaller constituents. The article discusses the counterintuitive result that attempting to cut a photon would not shorten it but instead cause it to multiply infinitely, highlighting the strange quantum behavior of light particles.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledIn Greek mythology, cutting one head off the Hydra of Lerna simply resulted in two more heads growing to replace it – and it turns out it's even worse for photons.
If you try to cut a piece off a particle of light, the result is infinitely many more of them being created.
Some particles are elementary, which means that they cannot be broken into smaller pieces.
A proton can be torn into three quarks, but each quark cannot be subdivided further.
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