A geometric model of a charge is constructed by defining several geometries on the same spacetime manifold. A Riemannian geometry describes the vacuum. On the same spacetime, two Weyl geometries are constructed for the charge description. The geometries are constrained by a variational principle. Energy conservation requires the equality of active and passive mass. Chargeless particles have essentially no mass. The treatment of radiation relies on the approximate nature of the wave equation. Variable mass terms in the wave equation cause the 2S–2P levels in hydrogen to separate by 30 000 Mhz. This unobserved transition together with the lack of spin sets a limit to the correspondence of the model to real electrons.

Topics
Energy conservation, Partial differential equations, Riemannian geometry, Calculus of variations, Chemical elements
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© 1978 American Institute of Physics.
1978
American Institute of Physics
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