Pre-Maxwell Electrodynamics

Foundations of Physics 28 (9):1479-1487 (1998)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In the context of a covariant mechanics with Poincaré-invariant evolution parameter τ, Sa'ad, Horwitz, and Arshansky have argued that for the electromagnetic interaction to be well posed, the local gauge function of the field should include dependence on τ, as well as on the spacetime coordinates. This requirement of full gauge covariance leads to a theory of five τ-dependent gauge compensation fields, which differs in significant aspects from conventional electrodynamics, but whose zero modes coincide with the Maxwell theory. The pre-Maxwell fields may exchange mass with charged particles, permitting pair annihilation even at the classical level. The total mass-energy-momentum tensor of the fields and particles is conserved. The Green's functions for the fields provide spacelike and timelike support for correlations, as well as lightlike propagation. A τ-integration of the fields—singling out the massless photons—recovers the standard Maxwell theory, which then has the character of an equilibrium limit of the underlying microscopic dynamics. The pre-Maxwell theory also turns out to be the solution of the inverse problem in variational mechanics: it is shown to be the most general local gauge theory consistent with unconstrained commutation relations in four dimensions. Posed in this framework, the extension to n-dimensions, curved background space, and non-abelian gauge symmetry becomes straightforward

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Coulomb Potential from Lorentz Invariance in N Dimensions.Martin Land - 2007 - Foundations of Physics 37 (4-5):597-631.
The Classical Coulomb Problem in Pre-Maxwell Electrodynamics.M. C. Land - 1998 - Foundations of Physics 28 (9):1489-1497.
Discrete Symmetries of Off-Shell Electromagnetism.Martin Land - 2005 - Foundations of Physics 35 (7):1263-1288.
Field theoretic constraint formalism.Arthur Komar - 1985 - Foundations of Physics 15 (4):473-485.
On the Occurrence of Mass in Field Theory.Giampiero Esposito - 2002 - Foundations of Physics 32 (9):1459-1483.

Analytics

Added to PP
2013-11-22

Downloads
65 (#225,534)

6 months
1 (#1,040,386)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

Pre-Maxwell Quantum Electrodynamics.M. C. Land - 1998 - Foundations of Physics 28 (9):1499-1506.
The Classical Coulomb Problem in Pre-Maxwell Electrodynamics.M. C. Land - 1998 - Foundations of Physics 28 (9):1489-1497.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references