Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

Author(s): Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 222

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Microcosmology : Atom bouring atoms in a molecule, which creates the chemical bond necessary to keep them united, is then equivalent to the interaction and union between paramānus of same type of sparsa i.e. sparsa equivalent to-ive charge. The first completed shell consists of two electrons. The minimum difference between the uniting paramānus of similar sparsa is two units. The quality of mass or guru-laghu sparśa does not play any significant role in the process of synthesis of subatomic particles or paramānus.
DUALITY OF PARAMĀŅU
At this stage we may raise some fundamental questions, what is the true nature of paramānu? Is it a particle or a wave ? Is it matter or energy (radiation) ? Does it have an electromagnetic field or a gravitational field ?
In the final section of the previous chapter we had discussed the "apratighāti" property of paramāņu where it was stated that a paramāņu is capable of penetrating and passing through any type of obstruction. Now, we know that the penetrating power of an electromagnetic radiation is inversely proportional to its wavelength i.e. shorter the wave-length of the radiation, higher is its penetrating power. From the stand-point of physics, the only difference between (10-8 & 10-?cm) at one end of the electromagnetic spectrum, visible light (hetween 10-4 & 10-5 cm) in the middle, and cosmic rays (10-11 to 10-12cm) at the other end lies in their wave-length. Visible light can ‘pass through' only a few substances like glass. The wave length of red light is .00007 cm and that of violet light .00004 cm. X-rays which are shorter (10-6 to 10-8 cm) than visible light can pass through many more substances which are opaque to light waves. Shorter than X-rays are gamma rays (10-8 to 10-13cm) of radium etc. which can penetrate several feet of cement concrete. The shortest known electromagnetic radiations are cosmic rays with wave lengths of 10-10 to 10-13 cm which can penetrate even more. Thus shorter the wavelengths, higher is the penetrating power of a radiation. Now if paramānu is accepted to possess infinitely more penetrating power than the gamma rays or even cosmic rays, it must be regarded as radiant energy with
1. See the figure on p. 166.
MICRO-O.CHP