Physical Interpretation of Negative Apparent Mass in Photonic Implications

Soumendra Nath Thakur, Tagore's Electronic Lab, WB, India
June, 09 2025

 What is the physical description of negative apparent mass?

In Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM), photons are treated as physically realisable entities characterized by negative apparent mass (−Mapp). This intrinsic property grants them antigravitational behaviour—meaning they resist gravitational attraction rather than being drawn into gravitational wells. This resistance arises directly from their negative apparent mass, which signifies a mass deficit embedded in their energetic structure.

The concept of negative effective mass is not without precedent. It has been empirically investigated on cosmological scales, notably in intercontinental observations of the Coma Cluster of galaxies, where certain regions appear to manifest a negative effective mass component attributed to dark energy. Research by A. D. Chernin et al. (DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201220781) supports this interpretation. These findings are consistent with ECM’s view of energy-mass redistribution in large-scale systems.

ECM provides a rigorous and mechanistic foundation for interpreting such phenomena. It extends classical mechanics by incorporating cosmological data, energy formulations from quantum theory, and new interpretations of inertial-gravitational coupling. Within this expanded framework, negative apparent mass (−Mapp) arises from the displacement of master mass (−ΔMM) under dynamic or gravitational conditions.

Importantly, −Mapp does not simply represent absence; it signifies an active substitution of inertial mass with a dynamic energy deficit. This leads to distinctive physical behaviour—especially in radiative or high-energy particles such as photons and gamma rays. Their responses to external forces, gravitational fields, and acceleration are governed by this redistributed mass-energy configuration, central to ECM’s reformulation of classical force and inertia.

This understanding is consistently detailed across ECM publications, which provide mathematical formalism, cosmological correlations, and theoretical justification for the presence and role of negative apparent mass in both terrestrial and astrophysical systems.

Can Apparent Mass Be Negative?

Archimedes’ principle states that an object submerged in a fluid experiences an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. Consequently, the object’s apparent weight is reduced, and can even become negative if the buoyant force exceeds the object’s own weight.

Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM) generalizes this concept to dynamic and gravitational contexts. In ECM, motion and gravitational potential gradients can displace a portion of the master matter mass (−ΔMM), analogous to buoyancy. This displacement reduces the contribution of the matter mass (MM) to weight, resulting in a diminished effective mass (Meff) during acceleration or variation in gravitational potential.

If this displacement is large enough, the "buoyant-like" dynamic or gravitational forces can exceed the original mass contribution, yielding a negative effective mass (Meff < 0) and hence a negative apparent mass (−Mapp). In such cases, energy-driven redistribution dominates conventional inertial behaviour.

This is not merely theoretical. It has been empirically observed in cosmological studies—for example, in analyses of the Coma Cluster, where certain regions appear to display negative effective mass, interpreted as manifestations of dark energy. Observational work by A. D. Chernin et al. reinforces this perspective, aligning with ECM’s framework. Such alignment offers a coherent and unified explanation of negative apparent mass across scales—from laboratory systems to the cosmic fabric.

 

Extended Classical Mechanics (ECM) discussion on Negative Apparent Mass

Soumendra Nath Thakur, Tagore's Electronic Lab, WB, India
June 10, 2025


1. Framework Overview
ECM reinterprets mass properties dynamically. It introduces negative apparent mass (−Mapp) as a component that emerges from gravitational interactions and energy redistribution. This shifts the concept of mass from a fixed intrinsic quantity to a field-dependent, responsive one.

2. Photons & Antigravitational Behaviour

• Within ECM, photons and radiative particles are attributed a dynamic negative effective mass because of pronounced negative apparent mass.
• As such, they inherently exhibit antigravitational effects, resisting rather than succumbing to gravitational attraction .

3. Mass Redistribution & Kinetic Energy

• ECM proposes that kinetic energy and mass-energy relations are manifestations of mass displacement between matter mass (MM) and negative apparent mass (−Mapp). This underpins traditional expressions like ½mv².
• Effective acceleration and gravitational coupling influence these mass components dynamically.

4. Cosmological Implications & Dark Energy Analogy

• Negative apparent mass isn't merely theoretical—it aligns with cosmological behaviours. In ECM’s analogy, space acts like a gravitational fluid where mass “displacement” yields buoyant-like forces.
• This interpretation helps explain dark energy–like effects, as ECM treats dark-energy terms in cosmological equations as manifestations of negative apparent mass.

5. Archimedes Analogy

• ECM draws a parallel between Archimedes' buoyancy (fluid displacement) and gravitational interactions:

• Matter mass (MM) ≈ submerged volume
• Deducted mass (Ma) ≈ displaced fluid
• Negative apparent mass (−Mapp) ≈ buoyant force
• So, ECM sees mass as dynamic “immersed” in a gravitational medium, yielding net effective mass:

            Meff = MM − Ma = MM − Mapp

Final Summary

ECM's negative apparent mass concept is:

• Mechanistically grounded — mass is responsive to field interactions.
• Generalise-able across scales — from photon dynamics to galaxy clusters.
• Conceptually elegant — using fluid-displacement analogies to explain mass-energy redistribution.

This leads to an antigravitational interpretation for certain energies and particles, aligning smoothly with observed dark-energy phenomena—without invoking ad hoc fields.

References:

 [1] https://www.researchgate.net/post/Analysis_of_Concepts_within_the_Extended_Classical_Mechanics_ECM_Framework "Analysis of Concepts within the Extended Classical Mechanics ..."
[2] https://www.telitnetwork.itgo.com/ExtendedClassicalMechanics/DarkEnergy/ "How does a photon dynamic describe dark energy within the..."
[3] https://www.preprints.org/reading-list/30 "Extended Classical Mechanics: Redefining Force, Mass, and Light"
[4] https://www.telitnetwork.itgo.com/ExtendedClassicalMechanics/ "Extended Classical Mechanics: Vol-1"