Electromagnetism as an emergent phenomenon: a step-by-step guide

DOI10.1088/1367-2630/16/12/123028zbMATH Open1451.78002arXiv1407.6532OpenAlexW3105867753MaRDI QIDQ3387463FDOQ3387463

Authors: C. Barceló, Raúl Carballo-Rubio, L. J. Garay, Gil Jannes 

Publication date: 12 January 2021

Published in: New Journal of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We give a detailed description of electrodynamics as an emergent theory from condensed-matter-like structures, not only {it per se} but also as a warm-up for the study of the much more complex case of gravity. We will concentrate on two scenarios that, although qualitatively different, share some important features, with the idea of extracting the basic generic ingredients that give rise to emergent electrodynamics and, more generally, to gauge theories. We start with Maxwell's mechanical model for electrodynamics, where Maxwell's equations appear as dynamical consistency conditions. We next take a superfluid ${}^3$He-like system as representative of a broad class of fermionic quantum systems whose low-energy physics reproduces classical electrodynamics (Dirac and Maxwell equations as dynamical low-energy laws). An important lesson that can be derived from both analyses is that the vector potential has a microscopic physical reality and that it is only in the low-energy regime that this physical reality is blurred in favour of gauge invariance, which in addition turns out to be secondary to effective Lorentz invariance.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1407.6532

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zbMATH Keywords

gravitygauge invariancequantum gravityelectrodynamicsemergent gravity

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Foundations in optics and electromagnetic theory (78A02) Statistical mechanics of superfluids (82D50)

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Cited In (7)

• Condensed matter lessons about the origin of time
• The emergence of gauge invariance: the stay-at-home gauge versus local-global duality
• Sound clocks and sonic relativity
• Why not a sound postulate?
• From physical symmetries to emergent gauge symmetries
• Dynamics of matter and energy
• Electrodynamics from the viewpoint of modern continuum theory—A review

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