2009/08/11 by David W. Babson, Stephen P. Reynolds, R. Bjorkquist +1 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #Scientific Research and Discoveries
paper · doi:10.1119/1.3152712
openalex publication_date 2009/08/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
Electromagnetic fields carry energy, momentum, and angular momentum. The momentum density, ϵ0(E×B), accounts (among other things) for the pressure of light. But even static fields can carry momentum, and this would appear to contradict a general theorem that the total momentum of a closed system is zero if its center of energy is at rest. In such cases, there must be some other (nonelectromagnetic) momenta that cancel the field momentum. What is the nature of this “hidden momentum” and what happens to it when the electromagnetic fields are turned off?