5. PHOTONIC DISTANCE-TIME

5.1. Nonmatter reference frames traveling at speed c

Since a body of matter cannot travel at speed c, a person cannot have a perspective from a reference frame traveling at speed c relative to any other body of matter. However, since light travels at speed c, there is no physical law prohibiting a person from imagining how a photon experiences time and space.

One must first read section 4.7 on different here-nows for different reference frames to understand a photonic distance-time. I now turn to a definition of a photon's perspective of space and time by analyzing the theoretical difference between the S and S' frames when S' has a velocity c relative to S. Since the momentum-energy of matter reaches infinity as matter reaches speed c, according to Eqs. (47) through (49), any reference frame containing matter cannot travel at a speed c relative to another reference frame. However, for a reference frame void of matter, the only limitations for its velocity, relative to another reference frame, are imposed by eventon motion, which represents all motion. Since eventons possess speed c, relative to a reference frame, the maximum speed for another reference frame, void of matter, is speed c.

Equation (34) is derived from Figure 4, which uses reference frames S and S'. These reference frames may be void of matter. I use this equation to analyze reference frame S' traveling at speed c relative to the S frame. I rearrange Eq. (34) to

,____________________________________________-(60)

and equate v to c, which yields

.__________________________________________________(61)

This shows that relative to the S frame, the S' frame with speed c possesses zero clock speed; therefore, relative to the S frame, the S' frame experiences in the distance-time of its speed c a single set of events located here-now. Along the X axis the events in this single set of events are given by x/c in Eq. (61). All other events located in this single set are on all axes parallel to the X axis and are also given by x/c of Eq. (61). However, relative to the S' frame, the ratio of distance to time is still D' = cT'. Therefore, theoretically S' would still experience a clock motion, and eventons would still travel at speed c relative to S'. Consequently, relative to itself, S' would experience not one, but many sets of events here-now. However, this is not the case for the photon. Moreover, I don't consider a reference for the photon, but instead I discuss a photonic distance-time.

5.2. Photonic distance-time

I now define the physics for the space and time of a photon traveling at speed c within a distance-time manifold. Throughout chapter 5, the photon is assumed to be traveling in a vacuum. I define space and time for a photon so that it can be placed compatibly into a distance-time manifold. Therefore, I define the distance-time similar to, but not the same as, the S' reference frame with speed c relative to S. The distance-time for the photon does not possess a rest speed. Instead, I define the photon to have only a velocity c relative to matter. This is different from the relationship between S and S' of Figure 4. Because even when S' has a velocity c, relative to S, S' still has a rest speed c relative to itself. Here, however, I do not give the photon a rest speed relative to itself or any reference frame. Therefore, the only distance-time a photon moves along is its event line relative to matter. Since the photon does not possess a rest speed, it experiences only one set of events here-now.

According to Eq. (61), the here-now of S' includes the distance-time line in S of x/c. Hence, I define the past negative distance, –(D = cT), and the future positive distance, D = cT, of a photon's event line, relative to matter, to happen here-now relative to the photon. The photon should not be able to distinguish the difference between its past, present, or future. Therefore, relative to an observer, the principle of cause and effect ceases to be valid for the photon. I further delineate this with an example. Relative to an observer, a photon passes through an event A and later an event B. If the photon makes a decision, at event A, that is dependent on its decision at event B, it would break the law of causality relative to the observer. However, relative to the photon, events A and B occur here-now. Consequently, in this scenario, the law of causality would not be broken relative to the photon. Any phenomenon satisfying this scenario would be evidence for the photonic distance-time defined in this article.

If a communication occurs between two photons strictly by means of their presence here-now relative to each other, that communication occurs infinitely quickly. Matter's reference frame is different from light's perspective of space and time. For matter any point on a clock is a different here-now. Consider that there are eventons moving in all different directions at each vector coordinate point at every moment. This means, as these eventons move around, a different set of events are happening at every given moment. Thus, a different here-now exists at every point of time for matter. This is not the case for light. With light, there is only one here-now. The only distance-time light traverses is in its relative motion to an observer. Light does not traverse any rest distance-time; therefore, it cannot have any clock measuring time at rest relative to a photon. This clock would be frozen at a single instant of time. What allows the photon's wave to wave if there is no time occurring relative to the photon? The wave waves across the distance-time that the photon traverses relative to an observer. A photon only experiences a single here-now. The following examples illustrate these principles.

In Figure 6, photon O is located at the origin of a reference frame for matter. Photon O is moving in a straight line along the positive X axis direction. All the events occurring a D = cT in front of O, in the positive distance-time of photon O, and a –(D = cT) behind O, in the negative distance-time of photon O, occur here-now relative to photon O. Perpendicular to photon O's event line on the X axis are the Y and Z axes. The Z axis is perpendicular to the plane of the sheet of article. In Figure 6, event A, occurring at point (x, y, z,), happens here-now relative to photon O, if, at (x, 0 ,0), an event B occurs here-now relative to both photon O and event A. Events A and B occur here-now relative to photon O if at time t = x/c, events A and B occur, and at time t = 0, photon O is at the origin. In Figure 6, the time measurements are taken with a clock in the reference frame for a body of matter.

In Figure 7, I describe the following four events happening at t = 0 relative to a reference frame for matter: photon A occurring at point A; photon G occurring at point G; photon O occurring at the origin; and photon B occurring at point B. All four photons, A, B, O, and G, are moving along event lines that are parallel to the X axis. Photons A, O, and G are moving in a positive x direction, and photon B is moving in a negative x direction. Points A, O, and B are located at different locations on the Y axis. Points G and O are on different locations of the X axis, and they are in different here-nows. All events occurring here-now relative to photon A occur here-now relative to photon O. Consequently, A and O have the same here-now. The event of photon G, at point G, does not occur here-now relative to photon B, and vice versa. The here-now of photons A and O are separate from the here-now of photon G by the distance-time between point G and the origin. Therefore, photon G does not interact with photons A and O, unless there is a field between the different here-nows. Only the event of photon B occurring at point B is located here-now relative to photons A and O, and only the events of photons A and O occurring at points A and O are here-now relative to photon B. All other events within the here-now of photons A and O do not coincide within the here-now of photon B, and all other events within the here-now of photon B do not coincide within the here-now of photons A and O.

What, in terms of distance-time, exists perpendicular to the event line for a photon?  (See Figure 8.) In Figure 8, the X, Y plane is perpendicular to the photon's velocity, and the photon has a velocity in the positive Z axis direction. The part of the coordinate system that is perpendicular to the photonic event line is similar to matter's reference frame.  In Figure 8, the X, Y plane is a two-dimensional space with a here-now that is infinitely fast and with a distance-time of speed c. Nevertheless, the photon experiences distance-time differently than matter does. Therefore, the photon experiences this two-dimensional space with finite speed differently than matter experiences its three-dimensional space with finite speed. Perpendicular to the velocity of the photon, this distance-time travels out from the point for the location of the photon as fast as the photon is moving away from its current point of existence. Therefore, the photon does not experience distance-time moving away from it perpendicular to its event line. In other words, the photon is never at rest while a space of speed c moves out from it. One noteworthy issue is that a matter-wave's amplitude exists in the interplay between a here-now and a space of finite speed. (See chapter 6.) Since the amplitude of light is perpendicular to its velocity, this amplitude also exists in the interplay between a here-now and a space of finite speed; however, the here-now and space of finite speed are two-dimensional.

A photon's distance-time is not predicted by classical and relativity theories; it is, instead, only predicted by distance-time theory. Consequently, all predictions of photon behavior, as laid out in this theory of a photon's distance-time, are found exclusively in distance-time theory. This is an important difference between distance-time theory and special relativity theory. Any particle within a structure of time and space should posses a relationship to that time and space or else it cannot be within that structure of time and space, and a photon's distance-time defines a relationship between light, time, and space. Furthermore, in nature, we have only observed three dimensions in which both light and matter particles reside. Since my space and time structure is only three-dimensional and all particles of light and matter posses a kinematical structure, I have defined a structure of time and space that is totally inclusive of all particles that exist within it. I did not state that a photon would have a rest frame the same as matter. Relative to matter (an observer), photons do not have a rest frame. This theory states that relative to the photon, the photon has a rest frame, but it is an unusual frame. Humans cannot possess this rest frame. However, we can imagine a photon's experience in this frame.

5.3. The global here-now

The eventon is only like a photon in that it shares the photonic perspective of space and time. After all, the eventon does travel at speed c. Also, every eventon in the ocean of eventons makes up all events in a distance-time manifold. Moreover, all distance throughout all space and all periods of time throughout all time are represented by this ocean of eventons. Every eventon, like a photon, experiences all future, past, and present together in the present, and possesses only a single here-now. The idea of a global here-now is the total sum of all eventons' perspectives of space and time. Since every eventon experiences all of its events in a single here-now, the sum or total rules of space and time of all eventons would be that all events throughout all space and time exist here-now. This global sum of all the eventons' distance-time is what I call the global here-now. One might ask whether this global here-now has any relation to the primordial point universe that existed before the Big Bang that started the known universe. I can only guess. It is possible that that primordial point universe still exists, and it is best understood as this global here-now in which our universe currently resides. However, I really have not extended this theory too much in the direction of cosmology. Since an observer is matter, an observer does not have this perspective. Instead, all time and distance are extended out relative to any observer.