SERIES ⎜ ARTICLE
Snippets of Physics
2. Angular Momentum of Electromagnetic Field*
T Padmanabhan works at
IUCAA, Pune and is
interested in all areas
of theoretical physics,
especially those which
have something to do with
gravity.
*
This is based on an article
originally published by the au-
thor in Physics Education, Vol.
23, No.4, p.285, 2006.
Keywords
Angular momentum, electro-
magnetic field, magnetic flux,
solenoid, momentum density.
108
T Padmanabhan
E le c tro m a g n e tic ¯ e ld s c a r r y n o t o n ly e n e r g y a n d
m o m e n tu m b u t a lso a n g u la r m o m e n tu m . T h e
a n g u la r m o m e n tu m o f th e ¯ e ld c a n le a d to so m e
c u r io u s r e su lts lik e th e o n e w h ic h is d e sc r ib e d
h e re .
Y o u w o u ld h av e certa in ly lea rn t th a t th e electro m a g -
n etic ¯ eld p o ssesses en erg y a n d m o m en tu m . T h e u su a l
ex p ressio n s fo r en erg y p er u n it v o lu m e (U ) a n d m o m en -
tu m p er u n it v o lu m e (P ) a re
1 2 1
U = (E + B 2 ); P = (E £ B ) (1 )
8¼ 4¼ c
F o r ex a m p le, th e ex p ressio n fo r en erg y d en sity is u sed
in elem en ta ry co u rses to stu d y th e en erg y sto red in a
ca p a cito r o r in a so len o id , w h ile th e ex p ressio n fo r elec-
tro m a g n etic m o m en tu m is req u ired to stu d y th e ra d ia -
tio n p ressu re o f th e electro m a g n etic w av es a n d rela ted
p h en o m en a .
W h a t is n o t stressed a d eq u a tely in tex tb o o k s is th a t th e
electro m a g n etic ¯ eld s { a n d p retty sim p le o n es a t th a t
{ a lso p o ssess a n g u la r m o m en tu m . J u st a s th e electro -
m a g n etic ¯ eld ca n ex ch a n g e its en erg y a n d m o m en tu m
w ith ch a rg ed p a rticles, it ca n a lso ex ch a n g e its a n g u -
la r m o m en tu m w ith a sy stem o f ch a rg ed p a rticles, o ften
lea d in g to ra th er su rp risin g resu lts. In th is in sta llm en t,
w e sh a ll ex p lo re o n e su ch ex a m p le.
A sim p le co n ¯ g u ra tio n in w h ich ex ch a n g e o f a n g u la r m o -
m en tu m o ccu rs is sh ow n in F igu re 1 , d iscu ssed in V o l-
u m e II o f F eyn m an lectu res in P hysics [1 ]. A p la stic d isk ,
lo ca ted in th e x { y p la n e, is free to ro ta te a b o u t th e v er-
tica l z -a x is. O n th e d isk is em b ed d ed a th in m eta llic
RESONANCE ⎜ February 2008
 SERIES ⎜ ARTICLE

Figure 1. The initial con-

figuration of solenoid and a
plastic disk.
Solenoid with
magnetic flux Φ

Ring of total
charge Q

rin g o f ra d iu s a ca rry in g a u n ifo rm ly d istrib u ted ch a rg e

Q . A lo n g th e z -a x is, th ere is a th in lo n g cu rren t-ca rry in g
so len o id p ro d u cin g a m a g n etic ¯ eld B co n trib u tin g a to -
ta l ° u x © . T h is in itia l co n ¯ g u ra tio n is co m p letely sta tic
w ith a m a g n etic ¯ eld B co n ¯ n ed w ith in th e so len o id a n d
a n electric ¯ eld E p ro d u ced b y th e ch a rg e lo ca ted o n
th e rin g . L et u s su p p o se th a t th e cu rren t so u rce is d is-
co n n ected lea d in g th e m a g n etic ¯ eld to d ie d ow n . T h e
ch a n g e in th e m a g n etic ° u x w ill lea d to a n electric ¯ eld
w h ich w ill a ct ta n g en tia l to th e rin g o f ch a rg e th ereb y
g iv in g it a to rq u e. O n ce th e m a g n etic ¯ eld d ies d ow n ,
th is to rq u e w ill resu lt in th e d isk sp in n in g a b o u t th e z -
a x is w ith a ¯ n ite a n g u la r m o m en tu m . T h e q u estio n is
w h ere d o es th is a n g u la r m o m en tu m co m e fro m ?
F ey n m a n p resen ts a d eta iled d iscu ssio n a b o u t th is p ro b -
lem b u t it is o b v io u s th a t th e a n g u la r m o m en tu m in th e
in itia l ¯ eld is w h a t a p p ea rs a s th e m ech a n ica l a n g u la r
m o m en tu m o f th e ro ta tin g d isk in th e ¯ n a l sta g e. W h a t The question is
is rea lly im p o rta n t a n d in terestin g is to w o rk th is o u t where does this
a n d ex p licitly v erify th a t th e a n g u la r m o m en tu m is co n - angular
serv ed (w h ich F ey n m a n u n fo rtu n a tely d o esn 't d o !). I momentum come
w ill d escrib e th is ca lcu la tio n a s w ell a s so m e in terestin g from?
issu es w h ich a rise fro m it in th is in sta llm en t[2 ].

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T h e a n g u la r m o m en tu m o f th e ¯ n a l ro ta tin g d isk is ea sy
The angular
to co m p u te. T h e ra te o f ch a n g e o f a n g u la r m o m en tu m
momentum in the
d L / d t d u e to th e to rq u e a ctin g o n th e rin g o f ch a rg e
initial field is related to
is a lo n g th e z -a x is a n d so w e o n ly n eed to co m p u te its
the mechanical
m a g n itu d e. T h is is g iv en b y
angular momentum in
I
the final stage. dL Q Q @©
= aQ E = E ¢d l = ¡ : (2 )
dt 2¼ 2¼ c @ t
H ere E is th e ta n g en tia l electric ¯ eld g en era ted d u e to
th e ch a n g in g m a g n etic ¯ eld a n d th e la st eq u a lity fo llow s
fro m F a ra d ay 's la w . In teg ra tin g th is eq u a tio n a n d n o t-
in g th a t th e in itia l a n g u la r m o m en tu m o f th e d isk a n d
th e ¯ n a l m a g n etic ° u x a re zero , w e g et
Q
L = © in itia l: (3 )
2¼ c
It is in terestin g th a t th e ¯ n a l a n g u la r m o m en tu m d e-
p en d s o n ly o n th e to ta l ° u x a n d n o t o n o th er co n ¯ g u -
ra tio n a l d eta ils.
W e n ow n eed to sh ow th a t th e in itia l sta tic electro m a g -
n etic co n ¯ g u ra tio n h a d th is m u ch o f sto red a n g u la r m o -
m en tu m . I w ill ¯ rst d o th is in a ra th er u n co n v en tio n a l
m a n n er a n d th en in d ica te th e co n n ectio n w ith th e m o re
fa m ilia r a p p ro a ch . T o d o th is, let u s reca ll th a t th e
ca n o n ica l m o m en tu m o f a ch a rg e q lo ca ted in a m a g -
n etic ¯ eld is g iv en b y p ¡ (q = c)A , w h ere A is th e v ecto r
p o ten tia l rela ted to th e m a g n etic ¯ eld b y B = r £ A
a n d p is th e u su a l k in em a tic m o m en tu m . T h is su g g ests
th a t o n e ca n a sso cia te w ith ch a rg es lo ca ted in a m a g -
n etic ¯ eld , a m o m en tu m (q = c)A . F o r a d istrib u tio n o f
ch a rg e, w ith a ch a rg e d en sity ½ , th e ¯ eld m o m en tu m p er
u n it v o lu m e w ill b e (1 = c)½ A . H en ce, to a ch a rg e d istri-
b u tio n lo ca ted in a reg io n o f v ecto r p o ten tia l A , w e ca n
a ttrib u te a n a n g u la r m o m en tu m
Z
1
LA = d 3 x ½ (x )[x £ A (x )]: (4 )
c

110 RESONANCE ⎜ February 2008

 SERIES ⎜ ARTICLE

In o u r p ro b lem , th e ch a rg e d istrib u tio n is co n ¯ n ed to a The derivation gives a

rin g o f ra d iu s a a n d th ere is n eg lig ib le m a g n etic ¯ eld in physical meaning to
th e lo ca tio n o f th e ch a rg e. B u t th e v ecto r p o ten tia l w ill the field momentum
ex ist o u tsid e th e so len o id a n d th e a b ov e ex p ressio n ca n (q/c)A which is
b e n o n -zero . T o co m p u te th is, let u s u se a cy lin d rica l somewhat mysterious
co o rd in a te sy stem w ith (r;μ ;z ) a s th e co o rd in a tes. W e in conventional
w ill ch o o se a g a u g e in w h ich th e v ecto r p o ten tia l h a s
approaches.
o n ly th e ta n g en tia l co m p o n en t; th a t is, o n ly A μ is n o n -
zero . U sin g I
A ¢d l = © ; (5 )

w h ere © is th e to ta l m a g n etic ° u x , w e g et 2 ¼ r A μ = ©
fo r a lin e in teg ra l o f A a ro u n d a n y circle. H en ce A μ =
© = (2 ¼ r ). T h is ca n b e w ritten in a n ice v ecto ria l fo rm a s

©
A = (^z £ r); (6 )
2¼ r2
w h ere z^ is th e u n it v ecto r in th e z-d irectio n . W h en w e
su b stitu te th is ex p ressio n in eq u a tio n (4 ) a n d ca lcu la te
th e a n g u la r m o m en tu m , th e in teg ra l g ets co n trib u tio n
o n ly fro m a circle o f ra d iu s a . U sin g fu rth er th e id en tity,
r £ (^z £ r ) = ^z r 2 , w e g et th e resu lt th a t

Q
L A = © ^;
in itia lz (7 )
2¼ c
w h ich is ex a ctly th e ¯ n a l a n g u la r m o m en tu m th a t w e
co m p u ted in eq u a tio n (3 ). R a th er n ice!
T h is elem en ta ry d eriva tio n , a s w ell a s th e ex p ressio n
fo r electro m a g n etic a n g u la r m o m en tu m in eq u a tio n (4 )
ra ises sev era l in trig u in g issu es. O n th e p o sitiv e sid e, it
m a k es v ecto r p o ten tia l a v ery ta n g ib le q u a n tity, so m e-
th in g w h ich w e lea rn t fro m rela tiv ity a n d q u a n tu m m e-
ch a n ics b u t co u ld n ev er b e clea rly d em o n stra ted w ith in
th e co n tex t o f cla ssica l electro m a g n etism . In th e p ro cess,
it a lso g iv es a p h y sica l m ea n in g to th e ¯ eld m o m en tu m
(q = c)A w h ich is so m ew h a t m y sterio u s in co n v en tio n a l
a p p ro a ch es. O n th e ° ip sid e, o n e sh o u ld n o te th a t A , b y

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 SERIES ⎜ ARTICLE

th e v ery d e¯ n itio n , is g a u g e d ep en d en t a n d o n e w o u ld
We would like to
h av e p referred a d e¯ n itio n o f electro m a g n etic a n g u la r
have a definition of
m o m en tu m w h ich is p ro p erly g a u g e in va ria n t.
electromagnetic
angular It is, o f co u rse, p o ssib le to w rite d ow n a n o th er ex p res-
momentum which sio n fo r th e electro m a g n etic a n g u la r m o m en tu m w h ich is
is gauge invariant. m o re co n v en tio n a l. G iv en th e d en sity o f electro m a g n etic
m o m en tu m , P , w e ca n d e¯ n e th e co rresp o n d in g a n g u la r
m o m en tu m d en sity a s x £ P . In teg ra tin g it ov er a ll sp a ce
sh o u ld g iv e th e a n g u la r m o m en tu m a sso cia ted w ith th e
electro m a g n etic ¯ eld . S in ce th e m o m en tu m d en sity P
in v o lv es o n ly th e electric a n d m a g n etic ¯ eld s, th e resu lt-
in g ex p ressio n s a re a u to m a tica lly g a u g e in va ria n t. T h is
lea d s to a d e¯ n itio n o f a n g u la r m o m en tu m g iv en b y
Z
1
L EM = d 3 x [x £ (E £ B )]; (8 )
4¼ c
w h ich ju st rep la ces th e m o m en tu m d en sity ½ A = c in eq u a -
tio n (4 ) b y (E £ B = 4 ¼ c). It is triv ia l to v erify th a t, a s
m o m en tu m d en sities, th ese tw o ex p ressio n s a re u n eq u a l
in g en era l. B u t w h a t is releva n t, a s fa r a s o u r co m p u ta -
tio n g o es, is th e in teg ra l ov er th e w h o le sp a ce o f th ese
tw o ex p ressio n s. If th ese tw o ex p ressio n s d i® er b y term s
w h ich v a n ish w h en in teg ra ted ov er w h o le sp a ce, th en
w e h av e a n eq u iva len t g a u g e in va ria n t d e¯ n itio n o f ¯ eld
a n g u la r m o m en tu m .
It tu rn s o u t th a t th is is in d eed th e ca se in a n y sta tic
co n ¯ g u ra tio n if w e ch o o se to d escrib e th e m a g n etic ¯ eld
in a g a u g e w h ich sa tis¯ es r ¢A = 0 . O n e ca n th en sh ow
th a t
1 1 @V ¯®
(E £ B )® = (E £ (r £ A ))® = ½ A ® + ; (9 )
4¼ 4¼ @x¯

w h ere V ¯ ® is a co m p lica ted seco n d ra n k ten so r b u ilt o u t

o f ¯ eld va ria b les. W e a re u sin g th e co n v en tio n th a t re-
p ea ted G reek in d ices (lik e ¯ in th e a b ov e la st term o f
th e a b ov e ex p ressio n ) a re su m m ed ov er 1 ,2 ,3 . W h ile

112 RESONANCE ⎜ February 2008

 SERIES ⎜ ARTICLE

o n e ca n p rov id e a p ro o f o f eq u a tio n (9 ) u sin g v ecto r

id en tities (y o u sh o u ld try it o u t!), it is a lo t fa ster a n d
n ea ter to u se fo u r-d im en sio n a l n o ta tio n a n d sp ecia l rel-
a tiv ity to g et th is resu lt. S u ch a d eriva tio n is o u tlin ed
in th e a p p en d ix fo r th o se w h o a re fa m ilia r w ith th e fo u r-
d im en sio n a l n o ta tio n . G iv en th e resu lt in (9 ), it is ea sy
to see th a t in o u r ex a m p le w e w ill g et th e sa m e resu lt
irresp ectiv e o f w h eth er w e u se L A o r L E M . T h is is b e-
ca u se, w h en w e in teg ra te th e ex p ressio n s in (9 ) ov er a ll
sp a ce, th e term in v o lv in g V ¯ ® ca n b e co n v erted to a
su rfa ce term a t in ¯ n ity w h ich d o es n o t co n trib u te.

A p p e n d ix

L et m e b rie° y o u tlin e th e d eriva tio n o f (9 ) fo r th o se w h o

a re fa m ilia r w ith th e fo u r-d im en sio n a l n o ta tio n . W e b e-
g in w ith th e ex p ressio n fo r th e m o m en tu m d en sity o f
th e electro m a g n etic ¯ eld in term s o f th e stress ten so r
T a b o f th e electro m a g n etic ¯ eld (w ith th e co n v en tio n
th a t L a tin letters ra n g e ov er 0 ,1 ,2 ,3 ). T o sim p lify th e
ex p ressio n s w e w ill a lso u se th e n o ta tio n @ i ´ (@ = @ x i ),
etc. T h e T 0 0 co m p o n en t o f th is ten so r is p ro p o rtio n a l
to th e en erg y d en sity o f th e electro m a g n etic ¯ eld , w h ile
th e T 0 ® is p ro p o rtio n a l to th e m o m en tu m d en sity P ® .
M o re p recisely,
1
T 0® = (E £ B )® = cP ® : (1 0 )
4¼
O n th e o th er h a n d , th e electro m a g n etic stress ten so r ca n
b e w ritten in term s o f th e fo u r-d im en sio n a l ¯ eld ten so r
F a b in th e fo rm T 0® = ¡ (1 = 4 ¼ )F ® ¯ F 0 ¯ . W e w ill m a n ip u -
la te th is ex p ressio n u sin g th e fa cts th a t (i) th e co n ¯ g u -
ra tio n is sta tic a n d (ii) th e v ecto r p o ten tia l sa tis¯ es th e
g a u g e co n d itio n r ¢ A = @ ® A ® = 0 , to p rov e (9 ).
U sin g th e d e¯ n itio n o f th e ¯ eld ten so r in term s o f th e
fo u r-v ecto r p o ten tia l, F ij = @ iA j ¡ @ iA j , w e ca n w rite

RESONANCE ⎜ February 2008 113

 SERIES  ARTICLE

¡ F F 0¯ = ¡ (@ A ¡ @ ¯ A ® )F 0 ¯ ;
Suggested Reading 1 ®¯ 1 ® ¯
T 0® =
4¼ 4¼
¡ @ (F 0 ¯ A ® ) ¡ A ®
[1] R P Feynman, R B Leighton
1 ® ¯ 1 ¯ @ ¯ F 0¯
and M Sands, Feynman Lec- = (@ A )F 0 ¯ + ;
tures in Physics, Narosa 4¼ 4¼ 4¼
¡ @ (F 0 ¯ A ® ) ¡ A ®
Publishing House, New 1 1 ¯ @ ¯ F 0¯
Delhi, Vol.II, Section 17-4,
= (¡ @ ® A ¯ @ ¯ A 0 ) + :
4¼ 4¼ 4¼
1986.
(1 1 )
[2] There is large literature on
this problem not all of which T o a rriv e a t th e seco n d lin e w e h av e d o n e a n in teg ra -
is illuminating; one good tio n b y p a rts a n d to o b ta in th e th ird lin e w e h av e u sed
place to start the search, J

W e n ex t u se th e resu lt @ ¯ F 0 ¯ = ¡ r ¢ E = ¡ 4 ¼ ½ in th e
M Agqirregabiria and A
@ 0 A ¯ = 0 sin ce th e co n ¯ g u ra tio n is tim e in d ep en d en t.
Hernandez, Eur.J.Phys.,

term , u sin g th e g a u g e co n d itio n r ¢A = @ ® A ® = 0 . T h is

Vol.2, p.168, 1981. la st term a n d a n o th er in teg ra tio n b y p a rts in th e ¯ rst

g iv es

Address for Correspondence
T Padmanabhan
IUCAA, Post Bag 4
Pune University
Campus
Ganeshkhind
Pune 411 007, India.
Email:
paddy@iucaa.ernet.in
nabhan@iucaa.ernet.in
@ ¯ [A 0 @ ® A ¯ ¡ A ® @ ¯ A 0 ]:
1
T 0® = ½ A ® + (1 2 )
4¼
W e th u s ¯ n d th a t
cP ® = ½ A ® + @ ¯ V ¯ ® ; V ¯ ® ´ [A 0 @ ® A ¯ ¡ A ® @ ¯ A 0 ]
1
4¼
(1 3 )
w h ich p ro v es th e eq u iva len ce b etw een th e tw o ex p res-
sio n s fo r electro m a g n etic m o m en tu m d en sity (cP a n d
½ A ) w h en u sed in in teg ra ls ov er a ll sp a ce, p rov id ed th e
seco n d term va n ish es su ± cien tly fa st. F o r th e ca se w e
a re d iscu ssin g , th is is in d eed tru e.

“Scientific reasoning does not differ from ordinary everyday thinking

in kind, but merely in degree of refinement and accuracy, more or less
as the performance of the microscope differs from that of the naked
eye.”

“To be sure, when the pioneer in science sends forth the groping feelers
of his thoughts, he must have a vivid intuitive imagination, for new
ideas are not generated by deduction, but by an artistically creative
imagination.”
– Max Planck

114 RESONANCE  February 2008