Abraham–Minkowski controversy
The Abraham–Minkowski controversy is a physics debate concerning electromagnetic momentum within dielectric media.[1][2] Two equations were first suggested by Hermann Minkowski (1908)[3] and Max Abraham (1909)[4][5] for this momentum. They predict different values, from which the name of the controversy derives.[6] Experimental support has been claimed for both.[7][8][9][10] Physicist Vitaly Ginzburg called it a perpetual problem.[2]
The two points of view have different physical interpretations and thus neither need be more correct than the other.[11] David J. Griffiths argues that, in the presence of matter, only the total stress–energy tensor carries unambiguous physical significance; how one apportions it between an "electromagnetic" part and a "matter" part depends on context and convenience.[12]
Several papers have claimed to have resolved this controversy.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][excessive citations]
The controversy is still claimed to have importance in physics beyond the Standard Model where electrodynamics gets modifications, like in the presence of axions.[20]
Equations
[edit]In SI units, the equations describe electromagnetic momentum and are given by[2]
| Minkoskwi | Abraham |
|---|---|
where:
- is the density of electromagnetic momentum
- is the electric displacement field
- is the magnetic flux density
- is the electric field
- is the magnetizing field
- is the speed of light squared
Consequences
[edit]According to Abraham, the momentum of an electromagnetic wave in a medium should be slower. Minkowski predicts that the momentum should be larger.[21]
For a finite-length optical fiber emitting light at one of its ends, it is unclear if the fiber recoils backs in the direction of the light emission (as predicted by Abraham) or if the fiber is pulled in the direction of emission (as predicted by Minkowski).[22]
References
[edit]- ↑ Leonhardt, Ulf (2006). "Momentum in an uncertain light". Nature. 444 (7121): 823–824. Bibcode:2006Natur.444..823L. doi:10.1038/444823a. PMID 17167461. S2CID 33682507.
- 1 2 3 McDonald, K. T. (2017). "Bibliography on the Abraham–Minkowski Debate" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
- ↑ Minkowski, H. (1908). . Nachrichten von der Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Mathematisch-Physikalische Klasse: 53–111.
- Wikisource translation: The Fundamental Equations for Electromagnetic Processes in Moving Bodies
- ↑ Abraham, M. (1909). . Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo. 28: 1–28. doi:10.1007/bf03018208. S2CID 121681939.
- Wikisource translation: On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies
- ↑ Abraham, M. (1910). "Sull'Elettrodinamica di Minkowski". Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo. 30: 33–46. doi:10.1007/bf03014862. S2CID 121524871.
- Wikisource translation: On the Electrodynamics of Minkowski
- ↑ Pfeifer, R. N. C.; Nieminen, T. A; Heckenberg, N. R.; Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H. (2007). "Colloquium: Momentum of an electromagnetic wave in dielectric media". Reviews of Modern Physics. 79 (4): 1197–1216. arXiv:0710.0461. Bibcode:2007RvMP...79.1197P. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.79.1197. See also: Pfeifer, Robert N. C.; Nieminen, Timo A.; Heckenberg, Norman R.; Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Halina (2009). "Erratum: Colloquium: Momentum of an electromagnetic wave in dielectric media [Rev. Mod. Phys. 79, 1197 (2007)]". Reviews of Modern Physics. 81 (1): 443. arXiv:0710.0461. Bibcode:2009RvMP...81..443P. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.81.443.
- ↑ A. Ashkin; J. M. Dziedzic (1973). "Radiation Pressure on a Free Liquid Surface". Physical Review Letters. 30 (4): 139–142. Bibcode:1973PhRvL..30..139A. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.30.139.
- ↑ Gretchen K. Campbell; Aaron E. Leanhardt; Jongchul Mun; Micah Boyd; Erik W. Streed; Wolfgang Ketterle; David E. Pritchard (2005). "Photon Recoil Momentum in Dispersive Media". Physical Review Letters. 94 (17) 170403. arXiv:cond-mat/0502014. Bibcode:2005PhRvL..94q0403C. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.170403. PMID 15904272. S2CID 2033128.
- ↑ Weilong She; Jianhui Yu; Raohui Feng (2008). "Observation of a Push Force on the End Face of a Nanometer Silica Filament Exerted by Outgoing Light". Physical Review Letters. 101 (24) 243601. arXiv:0806.2442. Bibcode:2008PhRvL.101x3601S. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.243601. PMID 19113619. S2CID 9630919.
- ↑ Dacey, J. (9 January 2009). "Experiment resolves century-old optics mystery". Physics World. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ↑ Milonni, Peter W.; Boyd, Robert W. (2010-12-31). "Momentum of Light in a Dielectric Medium" (PDF). Advances in Optics and Photonics. 2 (4): 519. Bibcode:2010AdOP....2..519M. doi:10.1364/AOP.2.000519. ISSN 1943-8206. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ↑ Griffiths, D. J. (2012). "Resource Letter EM-1: Electromagnetic Momentum". American Journal of Physics. 80 (1): 7–18. Bibcode:2012AmJPh..80....7G. doi:10.1119/1.3641979.
- ↑ Gordon, J. P. (1973). "Radiation forces and momenta in dielectric media". Physical Review A. 8 (1): 14–21. Bibcode:1973PhRvA...8...14G. doi:10.1103/physreva.8.14.
- ↑ Nelson, D. F. (1991). "Momentum, pseudomomentum, and wave momentum: Toward resolving the Minkowski–Abraham controversy". Physical Review A. 44 (6): 3985–3996. Bibcode:1991PhRvA..44.3985N. doi:10.1103/physreva.44.3985. PMID 9906414.
- ↑ Mansuripur, M. (2010). "Resolution of the Abraham–Minkowski controversy". Optics Communications. 283 (10): 1997–2005. arXiv:1208.0872. Bibcode:2010OptCo.283.1997M. doi:10.1016/j.optcom.2010.01.010. S2CID 118347570.
- ↑ Barnett, S. (2010). "Resolution of the Abraham–Minkowski Dilemma" (PDF). Physical Review Letters. 104 (7) 070401. Bibcode:2010PhRvL.104g0401B. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.070401. PMID 20366861.
- ↑ Mikko Partanen; Teppo Häyrynen; Jani Oksanen; Jukka Tulkki (2017). "Photon mass drag and the momentum of light in a medium". Physical Review A. 95 (6) 063850. arXiv:1603.07224. Bibcode:2017PhRvA..95f3850P. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.95.063850. S2CID 53420774.
- ↑ Mikko Partanen; Jukka Tulkki (2021). "Covariant theory of light in a dispersive medium". Physical Review A. 104 (2) 023510. arXiv:2105.04053. Bibcode:2021PhRvA.104b3510P. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.104.023510. S2CID 234336055.
- ↑ Cahaya, Adam B. (2025-09-19). "Zitterbewegung, momentum, and spin dynamics of electromagnetic waves in a linear dielectric medium". Physical Review A. 112 (3) 033721: 112. arXiv:2505.22270. Bibcode:2025PhRvA.112c3721C. doi:10.1103/sxh8-q8tq.
- ↑ Tobar, Michael E.; McAllister, Ben T.; Goryachev, Maxim (2022-02-15). "Poynting vector controversy in axion modified electrodynamics". Physical Review D. 105 (4) 045009. arXiv:2109.04056. Bibcode:2022PhRvD.105d5009T. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.105.045009. ISSN 2470-0010. S2CID 246430570.
- ↑ Cho, Adrian (2004). "Momentum From Nothing". Physical Review Focus. 13 3. doi:10.1103/PhysRevFocus.13.3. ISSN 1539-0748.
- ↑ Schirber, Michael (2008). "Light Bends Glass". Physical Review Focus. 22 20. doi:10.1103/PhysRevFocus.22.20. ISSN 1539-0748.
External links
[edit]- Cho, Adrian (2004). "Momentum From Nothing". Physical Review Focus. Vol. 13. doi:10.1103/PhysRevFocus.13.3. ISSN 1539-0748.
- Schirber, Michael (2008). "Light Bends Glass". Physical Review Focus. Vol. 22. doi:10.1103/PhysRevFocus.22.20. ISSN 1539-0748.
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