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A new perspective of the Abraham-Minkowski controversy

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Abstract.

In the present work we analyze the old controversy of Abraham and Minkowski from the microscopic point of view, and from the perspective of a momentum balance equation. Thus we complete the line of research on this subject initiated by Lai et al. (H.M. Lai, W.M. Suen, K. Young, Phys. Rev. A 25, 1755 (1982)). We find that a new term, - \( {\frac{{1}}{{c}}}\) \( {\frac{{\partial \mathbf{m}}}{{\partial t}}}\)×E , justified with several arguments, some of which founded in relativity theory, gives a more coherent view of the controversy. As a test for this approach, we show that the Helmholtz force density may be obtained from a momentum balance equation derived directly from Maxwell’s equations under certain approximations; we find with this analysis that rather than resolve the controversy, we can dissolve it. That is, we have rather a problem of physical interpretation, since we show that other momentum balance equations are also all legitimate implications of Maxwell’s equations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Fısica, División de Ciencias Básicas e Ingenierıa, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Av. San Rafael Atlixco # 186, Apartado Postal 21-463, 04000, México D. F., México

    J. L. Jiménez

  2. Departamento de Fısica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 21-463, 04000, México D. F., México

    I. Campos

  3. Departamento de Ingenierıa, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Av. E. Garza Sada # 1, Apartado Postal 314, 94500, Veracruz, México

    M. A. López-Mariño

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  1. J. L. Jiménez
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  2. I. Campos
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  3. M. A. López-Mariño
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Jiménez, J.L., Campos, I. & López-Mariño, M.A. A new perspective of the Abraham-Minkowski controversy. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 126, 50 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2011-11050-8

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