arXiv · 1207.6155
Momentum of the Electromagnetic Field in Transparent Dielectric Media
Abstract
We present arguments in favor of the proposition that the momentum of light inside a transparent dielectric medium is the arithmetic average of the Minkowski and Abraham momenta. Using the Lorentz transformation of the fields (and of the coordinates) from a stationary to a moving reference frame, we show the consistent transformation of electromagnetic energy and momentum between the two frames. We also examine the momentum of static (i.e., time-independent) electromagnetic fields, and show that the close connection that exists between the Poynting vector and the momentum density extends all the way across the frequency spectrum to this zero-frequency limit. In the specific example presented in this paper, the static field inside a non-absorbing dielectric material turns out to have the Minkowski momentum.
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Masud Mansuripur. 2012-07-26. Momentum of the Electromagnetic Field in Transparent Dielectric Media. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.733435
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