Issues

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1977

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March

  

Methodological notes


Covariance of Maxwell equations and comparison of electrodynamic systems

, ,  a
a N.I. Lobachevskii Nizhnii Novgorod State University, prosp. Gagarina 23, Nizhnii Novgorod, Russian Federation

As is well known, Maxwell equations in vacuum are covariant under a transformation of the Lorentz group. The same equations in a material medium have a more general symmetry group and retain their form under arbitrary nondegenerate linear transformations of space-time variables to which, naturally, are added definite rules for recalculating fields and material characteristics of the medium. This enables a formal correspondence to be established between solutions of physically different electrodynamic problems related by linear transformations of the space-metric and of the tensor characteristics of the media. Such a correspondence (comparison) turns out to be useful, in particular, for investigating the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the presence of external gravitational fields, and also in systems with moving inhomogeneities or sources. Some examples of comparisons are examined and the results obtained in the course of this are indicated. A discussion is given of the relationship of the comparison method to the transformations of special and general theories of relativity.

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Fulltext is also available at DOI: 10.1070/PU1977v020n03ABEH005347
PACS: 04.40.+c
DOI: 10.1070/PU1977v020n03ABEH005347
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/1977/3/e/
Citation: Miller M A, Sorokin Yu M, Stepanov N S "Covariance of Maxwell equations and comparison of electrodynamic systems" Sov. Phys. Usp. 20 264–272 (1977)
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Оригинал: Миллер М А, Сорокин Ю М, Степанов Н С «Ковариантность уравнений Максвелла и сопоставление электродинамических систем» УФН 121 525–538 (1977); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0121.197703e.0525

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