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2 . 06 87 2 v 2 [ gr-q c ] 8 M ar 2 01 8 Covariant electrodynamics in linear media : Optical metric
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Thompson, Robert T. |
| Copyright Year | 2018 |
| Abstract | While the postulate of covariance of Maxwell’s equations for all inertial observers led Einstein to special relativity, it was the further demand of general covariance – form invariance under general coordinate transformations, including between accelerating frames – that led to general relativity. Several lines of inquiry over the past two decades, notably the development of metamaterial-based transformation optics, has spurred a greater interest in the role of geometry and space-time covariance for electrodynamics in ponderable media. I develop a generally covariant, coordinate-free framework for electrodynamics in general dielectric media residing in curved background space-times. In particular, I derive a relation for the spatial medium parameters measured by an arbitrary timelike observer. In terms of those medium parameters I derive an explicit expression for the pseudoFinslerian optical metric of birefringent media and show how it reduces to a pseudo-Riemannian optical metric for nonbirefringent media. This formulation provides a basis for a unified approach to ray and congruence tracing through media in curved space-times that may smoothly vary among positively refracting, negatively refracting, and vacuum. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://export.arxiv.org/pdf/1712.06872 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://arxiv-export-lb.library.cornell.edu/pdf/1712.06872 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
