Saturday, November 26, 2016

electromagnetism - Does existence of magnetic monopole break covariant form of Maxwell’s equations for potentials?


Absence of magnetic charges is reflected in one of Maxwell's fundamental equations: divB=0.

This equation allows us to introducte concept of vector potential: B=rotA.
Using this concept, it is possible to express Maxwell's equations in a graceful symmetric form: 2A1c22At2=jϵ0c2,
2ϕ1c22ϕt2=ρϵ0.


Noticing, that vector A and scalar ϕ potentials, as well as electric current density j and charge density ρ, form a 4-vector in Minkovsky space-time. Therefore, Maxwell's equations can be expressed in a covariant form, using d'Alembertian: μμAν=jνϵ0.


If magnetic monopols exist, Maxwell's equation (1) will look as: divB=μ0cρmagnet.


As the divergence of B isn't equal to zero, it impossible to introduce concept of vector potential. Thus, the equation in the form of (4) will not be possible to express.




Answer



Another option, besides modifying the potential Aμ=(Ai,ϕ) in some way, is to introduce another 4-potential Cμ=(Ci,ψ). Then the electric and magnetic field are given by E=×CAtϕ

B=×ACtψ


More on this 2-potential approach can be found here: http://arxiv.org/abs/math-ph/0203043


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