Observation of the intrinsic Abraham force in time-varying magnetic and electric fields

The Abraham force exerted by a time-dependent electromagnetic field on neutral, polarizable matter has two contributions. The one induced by a time-varying magnetic field and a static electric field is reported here for the first time. We discuss our results in the context of the radiative momentum...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review letters Vol. 108; no. 23; p. 230402
Main Authors Rikken, G L J A, van Tiggelen, B A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 08.06.2012
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Summary:The Abraham force exerted by a time-dependent electromagnetic field on neutral, polarizable matter has two contributions. The one induced by a time-varying magnetic field and a static electric field is reported here for the first time. We discuss our results in the context of the radiative momentum in matter. Our observations are consistent with Abraham's and Nelson's versions for radiative momentum.
ISSN:1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.230402