The chronon in the quantum theory of the electron and the existence of heavy leptons

In this paper an organic exposition is given of a new quantum theory of the electron based on the introduction of the chronon in physics. Such a theory is developed essentially without the need of any new hypothesis beyond those adopted for the formulation of the classical theory of the electron developed many years ago by the author to overcome some typical difficulties of the Lorentz-Dirac theory. From the new quantum theory of the electron it is possible to derive a) the interpretation of the muon as an excited state of the electron; b) the prediction of the existence of a heavy electronlike charged lepton esup((2)) having a mass Msup((2)) = (3/2((h/2π)c/e2))2m0 approximately equal 23 protonic masses; c) an indication for the possibility of existence of another heavy muonlike charged lepton esup((3)), extremely unstable, having a mass Msup((3)) = (3/2((h/2π)c/e2))3m0 approximately equal 4740 protonic masses; d) the existence of a whole spectrum of ''virtual'' charged heavy leptons esup((n)) having masses Msup((n)) = (3/2((h/2π)c/e2))sup(n)m0 (with n>3), electronlike for even n and muonlike for odd n; e) the existence of a whole spectrum of neutrinos having masses msub(ν)(n) = (gsub(w)2/e2)Msup((n)) both electronlike (even n) and muonlike (odd n); those with n>3 are connected to the ''virtual'' heavy leptons. Moreover, the electronlike heavy leton esup((2)) may be conceived as related to the heavy vectorial meson W introduced in the theory of weak interactions by Abdus Salam and by Weinberg. The heavy electron esup((2)) might also be responsible, in addition to the heavy vectorial mesons, for some anomalies observed in the cosmic radiation. Finally, the values of the neutrino masses predicted by our theory appear not to be in disagreement with the bounds that can be established on the basis of the experiments on the Pontecorvo oscillations and of various kinds of observations concerning the astrophysical environment. (author)