Cosmology and Quantum Electrodynamics

Abstract

SEVERAL attempts have been made to develop a quantum theory of the Wheeler–Feynman direct interparticle action electrodynamics. We have developed an approach using an S-matrix perturbation expansion. The importance of the approach is two-fold. First, it provides a welcome confirmation, of the work of Hoyle and Narlikar^1–3; and second, it possesses the following distinct advantages: (i) it uses a formalism which is familiar in the conventional treatment of quantum electrodynamics; (ii) particle wave functions are second quantized; with some effort the theory can be made fully relativistic; (iii) it is completely general; a separation allows the influence of the universe to be taken into account in an overall way, without discussing the specific processes of the system under interest; in this way, the complete equivalence of the conventional and new theories is established for all processes and all orders of the perturbation; (iv) the simplicity and familiarity of many of the expressions provide a ready comparison with the conventional theory. The approach thus provides a foundation on which an axiomatic formulation of direct interparticle action quantum electrodynamics may be constructed that is closely analogous to the conventional theory. In particular, the second quantization of the source particles allows the definition of operators analogous to the photon creation and destruction operators, in a way similar to that used by Klein⁴, and later by Heisenberg^5,6 in conventional quantum electrodynamics.