Electromagnetic energy, momentum, and angular momentum in an inhomogeneous linear dielectric

OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS

卷:285

Article

Crenshaw, Michael E.¹  Bander, Thomas B.¹ 

[1] USA, Aviat & Missile Res Dev & Engn Ctr, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898 USA

关键词: Electromagnetic momentum;    Abraham-Minkowski controversy;    Helmholtz force;    Energy-momentum tensor;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.optcom.2012.08.021

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

In a previous work, Optics Communications 284 (2011) 2460-2465, we considered a dielectric medium with an anti-reflection coating and a spatially uniform index of refraction illuminated at normal incidence by a quasimonochromatic field. Using the continuity equations for the electromagnetic energy density and the Gordon momentum density, we constructed a traceless, symmetric energy-momentum tensor for the closed system. In this work, we relax the condition of a uniform index of refraction and consider a dielectric medium with a spatially varying index of refraction that is independent of time, which essentially represents a mechanically rigid dielectric medium due to external constraints. Using continuity equations for energy density and for Gordon momentum density, we construct a symmetric energy-momentum matrix, whose four-divergence is equal to a generalized Helmholtz force density four-vector. Assuming that the energy-momentum matrix has tensor transformation properties under a symmetry group of space-time coordinate transformations, we derive the global conservation laws for the total energy, momentum, and angular momentum. Published by Elsevier B.V.

【 授权许可】

Free