Defining the Work Done on an Electromagnetic Field.
This theoretical paper addresses how to define work done on an electromagnetic field by moving charges when the standard Hamiltonian is not gauge invariant. It reports a new gauge-invariant Hamiltonian expressed in terms of physical observables, which the authors say allows defining work and formulating the second law for an electromagnetic field. The abstract also notes a connection to the electrodynamic arrow of time and suggests thermodynamic work measurements could inform whether photon mass is small but nonzero.
Key points
- The abstract frames the main issue as the lack of a gauge-invariant Hamiltonian for defining work via the first law.
- A new explicitly gauge-invariant Hamiltonian for an electromagnetic field is reported.
- The Hamiltonian is described as depending only on physical observables.
- The authors state this enables defining work and formulating the second law for an electromagnetic field.
- A link is proposed between the second law formulation and choosing retarded (not advanced) wave-equation solutions.
- The abstract suggests measuring thermodynamic work could help determine whether photon mass is small but nonzero.
Referenced studies & papers
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AI-generated summaries may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
AI-generated summaries may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
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