TY - JOUR
T1 - Colloquium
T2 - momentum of an electromagnetic wave in dielectric media
AU - Pfeifer, Robert N. C.
AU - Nieminen, Timo A.
AU - Heckenberg, Norman R.
AU - Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Halina
N1 - Erratum can be found in Reviews of Modern Physics, Volume 81(1), 443, http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.81.443
PY - 2007/10/1
Y1 - 2007/10/1
N2 - Almost 100 years ago, two different expressions were proposed for the energy-momentum tensor of an electromagnetic wave in a dielectric. Minkowski's tensor predicted an increase in the linear momentum of the wave on entering a dielectric medium, whereas Abraham's tensor predicted its decrease. Theoretical arguments were advanced in favor of both sides, and experiments proved incapable of distinguishing between the two. Yet more forms were proposed, each with their advocates who considered the form that they were proposing to be the one true tensor. This paper reviews the debate and its eventual conclusion: that no electromagnetic wave energy-momentum tensor is complete on its own. When the appropriate accompanying energy-momentum tensor for the material medium is also considered, experimental predictions of all various proposed tensors will always be the same, and the preferred form is therefore effectively a matter of personal choice.
AB - Almost 100 years ago, two different expressions were proposed for the energy-momentum tensor of an electromagnetic wave in a dielectric. Minkowski's tensor predicted an increase in the linear momentum of the wave on entering a dielectric medium, whereas Abraham's tensor predicted its decrease. Theoretical arguments were advanced in favor of both sides, and experiments proved incapable of distinguishing between the two. Yet more forms were proposed, each with their advocates who considered the form that they were proposing to be the one true tensor. This paper reviews the debate and its eventual conclusion: that no electromagnetic wave energy-momentum tensor is complete on its own. When the appropriate accompanying energy-momentum tensor for the material medium is also considered, experimental predictions of all various proposed tensors will always be the same, and the preferred form is therefore effectively a matter of personal choice.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34948883968&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=64349104749&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/RevModPhys.79.1197
DO - 10.1103/RevModPhys.79.1197
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34948883968
SN - 0034-6861
VL - 79
SP - 1197
EP - 1216
JO - Reviews of Modern Physics
JF - Reviews of Modern Physics
IS - 4
ER -