Related papers: Electromagnetism and photons in continuous media
The 100-year-long problem concerning the correct form of the electromagnetic energy-momentum tensor in continuous media (usually called the Abraham-Minkowski problem) continues to attract interest. We provide a critical analysis of…
We analyze the Abraham-Minkowski problem known from classical electrodynamics from two different perspectives. First, we follow a formal approach, implying use of manifolds with curved space sections in accordance with Fermat's principle,…
We discuss the electromagnetic energy-momentum distribution and the mechanical forces of the electromagnetic field in material media. There is a long-standing controversy on these notions. The Minkowski and the Abraham energy-momentum…
That static electric and magnetic fields can store momentum may be perplexing, but is necessary to ensure total conservation of momentum. Simple situations in which such field momentum is transferred to nearby bodies and point charges have…
It is pointed out that the previous energy-momentum tensors of Minkowski and Abraham for the electromagnetic field in continuous media are based on a covariant formulation which does not reflect a symmetry inherent to the system. Instead,…
Light in a dielectric medium moves slower than in vacuum. The corresponding electromagnetic field equations are then no longer invariant under ordinary Lorentz transformations, but only under such transformations corresponding to this…
Recent years have witnessed a number of beautiful experiments in radiation optics. Our purpose with this mini-review is to highlight some developments of radiation pressure physics in general, and thereafter to focus on the importance of…
Quantum electrodynamics is the well-accepted theory. However, we feel it is useful to look at formalisms that provide alternative ways to describe light, because in the recent years the development of quantum field theories based primarily…
During the past century, the electromagnetic field momentum in material media has been under debate in the Abraham-Minkowski controversy as convincing arguments have been advanced in favor of both the Abraham and Minkowski forms of photon…
The problem of the electromagnetic energy-momentum tensor is among the oldest and the most controversial in macroscopic electrodynamics. In the center of the issue is a dispute about the Minkowski and the Abraham tensors for moving media.…
After more than a century of debate, there remains continuing discomfort over what is the correct expression for the electromagnetic momentum in a dielectric medium. This is the so-called the Minkowski-Abraham controversy. We show that…
In order to get some insight in the intricacies of the Abraham-Minkowski energy-momentum problem in phenomenological electrodynamics, we briefly analyze eight different experimental situations in radiation optics. Six of the experiments are…
An important issue in phenomenological macroscopic electrodynamics of moving media is the definition of the energy and momentum of the electromagnetic field in matter. Rather surprisingly, this topic has demonstrated a remarkable longevity,…
A discussion is given on the interpretation and physical importance of the Minkowski momentum in macroscopic electrodynamics (essential for the Abraham-Minkowski problem). We focus on the following two facets: (1) Adopting a simple…
The form of the energy-momentum tensor when a quasimonochromatic field propagates into and through an antireflection-coated, sourceless, transparent, continuous, linear magneto-dielectric medium, initially at rest in the local frame,…
We find that the energy-momentum tensor of electromagnetic waves in media is very similar to that of ordinary fluids, and concepts such as density, pressure, and energy transfer rate can be similarly defined. On this basis, we conducted a…
In this paper, I introduce two new concepts (Minkowski quasi-photon and invariance of physical definitions) to elucidate the theory developed in my previous work [Can. J. Phys. 93, 1510 (2015)], and to clarify the criticisms by Partanen and…
We find that the energy-dynamic tensor of electromagnetic wave in medium defined by Lagrange density is very similar to that of ordinary fluid, and density and pressure can be defined similarly. The pressure here is different from the…
We use an extended version of electrodynamics, which admits the existence of magnetic charges and currents, to discuss how different models for electric and magnetic dipoles do or do not carry hidden momentum under the influence of external…
The equations of electromagnetic fields in a medium is usually written in the rest frame of the medium. We outline a method of generalizing the discussion to arbitrary inertial frames. In the discussion, we also include the possibility that…