Global and local perspectives of gravitationally assisted negative-phase-velocity propagation of electromagnetic waves in vacuum

Akhlesh Lakhtakia; Tom G. Mackay; Sandi Setiawan

doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2005.01.014

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Global and local perspectives of gravitationally assisted negative-phase-velocity propagation of electromagnetic waves in vacuum

Akhlesh Lakhtakia·Tom G. Mackay·Sandi Setiawan

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Abstract

Consistently with the Einstein equivalence principle and using an electromagnetic formulation first suggested by Tamm, we show that a local observer cannot observe negative-phase-velocity (NPV) propagation of electromagnetic waves in vacuum, whereas a global observer can appreciate that phenomenon. Using the specific example of the Kerr metric, we also demonstrate the possibility of NPV propagation within the ergosphere of a rotating black hole.

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Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Tom G. Mackay, Sandi Setiawan. 2004-12-21. Global and local perspectives of gravitationally assisted negative-phase-velocity propagation of electromagnetic waves in vacuum. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physleta.2005.01.014

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