No label defined (Q4379908)

This paper presents the Maxwell equations in the formalism of differential forms. In the stationary case (electrostatics and magnetostatics), these differential forms are considered in Euclidean space \(\mathbb{R}^3\) or, more generally, in a three-dimensional oriented Riemannian manifold. The electric field is given by a closed 1-form which satisfies \(dE=0\), and the magnetic field by a 2-form which fulfills \(dB=0\). The Hodge operator \(\star\) is defined for an oriented manifold of dimension \(n\) which allows, among other things, to write the Maxwell equations in a non-orientable spacetime. Next, \(B\) and \(E\) are constructed by means of a 2-form in \({\mathbb{R}}^4: F=B+E\wedge dt\), which together with the 3-form \(j=\rho dx\wedge dy\wedge dz - J\wedge dt\) leads to the following form of the Maxwell equations: \(dF=0, d^{\star}F=\pm 4\pi{\mu_0\over \varepsilon_0}\star j\). The second equation can also be derived as the Euler-Lagrange equations of a variational principle. Introducing a fibre bundle \(E\) over a manifold, the covariant derivative or connection \(\nabla\) is introduced as the derivative of a section \(S\) evaluated at the point \(x_0\in M\), in the direction \(V\in T_{x_0}M\). In this way, if \(E=M\times{\mathbb{R}}^{n}\), \(\nabla_iS=\frac{\partial S} {\partial x_i}+A_i(x)\), where \(A_i(x)\) are endomorphisms of \({\mathbb{R}}^n\) depending on \(x\). For such a connection, considering a loop \(\gamma\), a holonomy \(e^{i\int_{\gamma}A}\) can be introduced. As an example, the author considers a three-dimensional manifold \(M\) and a connection which has curvature \(F=eB/\hbar\), where \(e,\hbar\) are physical constants and \(B\) is a stationary magnetic field. This will impose a quantization of the magnetic field \(e\int_{S}B\in hZ\) if we consider a 2-cycle \(S\) on \(M\). This condition is connected to the occurence of magnetic monopoles. Another given example is the parallel transport performed by \(e^{iq\int_{\gamma}A/\hbar}\) which is related to the Aharonov-Bohm effect in quantum mechanics. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0882.00016].