The electrodynamics of inhomogeneous rotating media and the Abraham and Minkowski tensors. II. Applications.

DOI10.1098/RSPA.2010.0111zbMATH Open1219.78087arXiv1003.1642OpenAlexW3106278743MaRDI QIDQ3090249FDOQ3090249

Authors:

Publication date: 28 August 2011

Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Applications of the covariant theory of drive-forms are considered for a class of perfectly insulating media. The distinction between the notions of "classical photons" in homogeneous bounded and unbounded stationary media and in stationary unbounded magneto-electric media is pointed out in the context of the Abraham, Minkowski and symmetrized Minkowski electromagnetic stress-energy-momentum tensors. Such notions have led to intense debate about the role of these (and other) tensors in describing electromagnetic interactions in moving media. In order to address some of these issues for material subject to the Minkowski constitutive relations, the propagation of harmonic waves through homogeneous and inhomogeneous, isotropic plane-faced slabs at rest is first considered. To motivate the subsequent analysis on accelerating media two classes of electromagnetic modes that solve Maxwell's equations for uniformly rotating homogeneous polarizable media are enumerated. Finally it is shown that, under the influence of an incident monochromatic, circularly polarized, plane electromagnetic wave, the Abraham and symmetrized Minkowski tensors induce different time-averaged torques on a uniformly rotating materially inhomogeneous dielectric cylinder. We suggest that this observation may offer new avenues to explore experimentally the covariant electrodynamics of more general accelerating media.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1003.1642

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zbMATH Keywords

continuum mechanicsrelativityelectrodynamicsconstitutive theory

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Technical applications of optics and electromagnetic theory (78A55)

Cites Work

• On the dragging of light by a rotating medium
• The electrodynamics of inhomogeneous rotating media and the Abraham and Minkowski tensors. I. General theory.

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• New perspectives on the relevance of gravitation for the covariant description of electromagnetically polarizable media
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• Aspects of quantum energy and stress in inhomogeneous unbounded dielectric continua

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