Theory of Longitudinal Photons in Quantum Electrodynamics

Abstract

The radiation field is quantized by introducing four types of photons - two transverse, one longitudinal, and one scalar. The scalar photons are treated by using an indefinite metric, and it is found necessary to modify the usual supplementary condition slightly. The present theory offers a justification for the symmetrical treatment of the four components of the electromagnetic potential, recently applied by a number of authors, and proves to be very convenient in applications. The results of physical interest, however, are the same as obtained from the ordinary formulation.