Plane wave in a moving medium and resolution of the Abraham-Minkowski debate by the special principle of relativity

Abstract

In this paper, a novel approach for resolution of the Abraham-Minkowski debate is proposed, in which the principle of relativity is used to uniquely determine the light momentum formulation for a plane wave in a moving non-dispersive lossless isotropic uniform medium. It is shown by analysis of the plane-wave solution that, (1) there may be a pseudo-power flow when a medium moves, and the Poynting vector does not necessarily denote the direction of real power flowing, (2) Minkowski's light momentum and energy constitute a Lorentz four-vector in a form of single photon or single EM-field cell, and Planck constant is a Lorentz invariant, (3) there is no momentum transfer taking place between the plane wave and the uniform medium, and the EM momentum conservation equation cannot be uniquely determined without resort to the principle of relativity, and (4) the moving medium behaves as a so-called "negative index medium" when it moves opposite to the wave vector at a faster-than-dielectric light speed. It is also shown by analysis of EM-field Lorentz transformations that, when a static electric (magnetic) field moves in free space, neither Abraham's nor Minkowski's formulation can correctly describe a real electromagnetic momentum; as an application of this principle, the classical electron mass-energy paradox is analyzed and resolved. Finally, a general EM momentum definition is proposed, and according to this new definition, the traditional "Abraham-type" and "Minkowski-type" momentums in the dispersion wave-guiding systems, such as regular dielectric-filled metallic waveguides, are found to be included in the same momentum formulation, but they appear at different frequencies.

(1) Abstract and Sec. V were revised to highlight research results obtained; (2) Attachment-V was removed. 25 pages, 3 figures

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• Transverse radiation force in a tailored optical fiber
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