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Electromagnetic Momentum

1884
  • James Clerk Maxwell
  • John Henry Poynting
19th-century laboratory with physicist studying electromagnetic momentum and Poynting vector.

(generated image for illustration only)

Electromagnetic fields can carry momentum. The momentum density of the electromagnetic field is given by the Poynting vector \(\vec{S}\) divided by the speed of light squared, \(\vec{g} = \vec{S}/c^2 = (\vec{E} \times \vec{B})/(\mu_0 c^2)\). For momentum to be conserved in a system of charged particles and fields, the momentum of the fields must be included alongside the mechanical momentum of the particles.

In classical mechanics, momentum is associated with massive particles. However, Maxwell’s equations of electromagnetism predict that electromagnetic waves, such as light, carry momentum despite being massless. This was a revolutionary concept. The conservation of total momentum in a system containing charged particles and electromagnetic fields requires accounting for the momentum stored in the fields themselves.

The flow of electromagnetic energy is described by the Poynting vector, \(\vec{S} = \frac{1}{\mu_0} (\vec{E} \times \vec{B})\). It was discovered that this energy flow is associated with a momentum density \(\vec{g} = \vec{S}/c^2\). The total momentum of a system is the sum of the mechanical momentum of all particles and the integral of the electromagnetic momentum density over all space: \(\vec{p}_{\text{total}} = \sum_i \vec{p}_{\text{mech}, i} + \int_V \frac{\vec{E} \times \vec{B}}{\mu_0 c^2} dV\).

The rate of change of this total momentum is governed by the flow of momentum across the boundary of the volume, which is described by the Maxwell stress tensor. This tensor describes the forces that electromagnetic fields exert on their surroundings, including radiation pressure. The concept is crucial for understanding phenomena like solar sails, where the pressure from sunlight propels a spacecraft.

UNESCO Nomenclature: 2204
– Electromagnetism

Type

Abstract System

Disruption

Foundational

Usage

Widespread Use

Precursors

  • James Clerk Maxwell’s equations of electromagnetism
  • Michael Faraday’s concept of fields
  • Discovery of the finite speed of light
  • Classical law of conservation of momentum

Applications

  • solar sails for spacecraft propulsion
  • optical tweezers for manipulating microscopic objects
  • laser cooling of atoms
  • radiation pressure calculations in astrophysics
  • design of high-power laser systems

Patents:

NA

Potential Innovations Ideas

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Related to: electromagnetic momentum, Poynting vector, Maxwell’s equations, radiation pressure, Maxwell stress tensor, momentum density, electromagnetic field, light, solar sail, optical tweezers.

Historical Context

Electromagnetic Momentum

1880
1882-01-01
1883
1884
1887
1888
1889
1877
1880
1882-01-01
1884
1885
1887
1889
1890

(if date is unknown or not relevant, e.g. "fluid mechanics", a rounded estimation of its notable emergence is provided)

Related Invention, Innovation & Technical Principles

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