On a geometric origin of the electric charge quantization

Abstract

The field-line description of the electric field, proposed by Faraday, accepted by Maxwell and used by Dirac, is utilized here in order to try to understand the origin of the electric charge quantization. This origin could be the result of the discrete nature of the field lines in conjunction with the requirement for spherical symmetry of the field. Under the hypothesis that for elementary particles, the electric field is consisting of only a few field lines, the d-quark could be composed of four field lines, the u-quark of eight, and the electron of 12. The proton would also exhibit a 12 field line structure. For electrons and protons, such a structure could eventually be observed with the here proposed experimental techniques. New particles with charges 1/2e, 5/3e, and 2.5e would be allowed in this context.