Quanta (Jan 2016)

Antimatter in the Direct-Action Theory of Fields

  • Ruth E. Kastner

DOI
https://doi.org/10.12743/quanta.v5i1.45
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 1
pp. 12 – 18

Abstract

Read online

One of Feynman's greatest contributions to physics was the interpretation of negative energies as antimatter in quantum field theory. A key component of this interpretation is the Feynman propagator, which seeks to describe the behavior of antimatter at the virtual particle level. Ironically, it turns out that one can dispense with the Feynman propagator in a direct-action theory of fields, while still retaining the interpretation of negative energy solutions as antiparticles. Quanta 2016; 5: 12–18.