Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007ppcf...49..429r&link_type=abstract
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Volume 49, Issue 12B, pp. B429-B438 (2007).
Physics
Plasma Physics
7
Scientific paper
The currently accepted value for the upper bound for the photon mass, mph, is 22 orders of magnitude less than the electron mass. As the mass mph is so incredibly small, it has essentially no effect on atomic and nuclear physics; and it is very difficult to improve this estimate by laboratory experiments. However, even a very small mass may have a significant effect on astrophysical phenomena occurring on a scale exceeding the photon Compton length \Bar\lambda (where \Bar\lambda > 3 \,Mkm for the currently accepted mass). A set of magnetohydrodynamic equations (assuming a finite photon mass) are used to analyze properties of the solar wind at Pluto's orbit. This yields an improved (reduced) by a factor of 70 estimate of the photon mass. Possible opportunities and challenges for the further reduction of the upper limit for mph based on the properties of larger-scale astrophysical objects are discussed.
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