A PARTICLE THEORY OF THE CASIMIR EFFECT

In previous works, Suppes and de Barros used a pure particle model to derive interference effects, where individual photons have well-define d trajectories, and hence no wave properties. In the present paper we extend that description to account for the Casimir effect. We consider that the linear momentum Sigma 1/2HBARk of the vacuum state in quantu m electrodynamics corresponds to the linear momentum of virtual photon s. The Casimir effect, in the cases of two parallel plates and the sol id ball, is explained in terms of the pressure caused by the photons. Contrary to quantum electrodynamics, we assume a finite number of virt ual photons.