Three Predictions from a Pilot Wave Model of Electric Fields, Magnetic Fields and Radiation

Electromagnetic fields and radiation were described in detail in the nineteenth century using new equations, postulates, and experimental data sets. Of particular note was James Clerk Maxwell’s theoretical and mathematical work, including the startling finding that electric and magnetic fields were predicted to propagate at the speed of light, leading to the notion that visible light and other types of radiation are electromagnetic (EM) waves. These developments facilitated a rapid expansion of scientific knowledge and applications, and are among the most important ideas in physics, both classically and quantum mechanically. However, as with all scientific notions, EM theory requires skeptical scrutiny and continual challenge of the underlying premises. In that regard, proposed here for consideration is an alternative, idealized model describing radiation, electric fields, and magnetic fields as manifestations of physical pilot waves in the universe. Importantly, the model makes three predictions that distinguish it from EM theory; a) refracted light waves will produce unique geometric patterns, b) a finite number of allowable wavelengths will exist for radiation, and c) radiation will not be comprised of displacement currents nor magnetic fields.