My early interest in the stochastic
electrodynamics (SED) approach to QED problems was
triggered by coming across Boyer's
derivation of the Planck blackbody spectrum on the
basis of a classical model involving an additive,
cubic-frequency background radiation field ( T.
H. Boyer, "Derivation of the blackbody radiation
spectrum without quantum assumptions," Phys. Rev.
182, 1374-1383, 1969). I then
proceeded, following Boyer's lead, to investigate
such issues as the stability
of the hydrogen atom , the source
of the background vacuum fluctuations ( errata),
and the possibility of interpreting
inertial mass in terms of a drag effect associated
with acceleration through the vacuum
fluctuations. Despite its intuitive appeal,
and reasonably encouraging success with regard to
certain derivations, it also became clear that the SED
approach has limitations which would need to be
overcome if it were to continue to contribute as a
useful heuristic approach.
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