Can Light Be Deflected by a Constant Electric Field?

[Gavroy]

hi

I asked myself, whether light should be deflected when it is in a constant electric field after classical electrodynamics? Does anybody know this?

I don't really know this...

 

[cragar]

No because light has no charge .

 

[Gavroy]

but it has a electric and magnetic field which could interact with the constant field?

 

[hlpmostafa]

you know we have electric field on the surface of the earth.if this external electric field had an effect on light trajectory...

 

[phyzguy]

hi

I asked myself, whether light should be deflected when it is in a constant electric field after classical electrodynamics? Does anybody know this?

I don't really know this...

The equations of classical electrodynamics are completely linear. In other words, If I have some solution (E1, B1) to the equations of classical electrodynamics, and I have some other solution (E2, B2), then the sum (E1+E2, B1+B2) is also a solution. This means that the electric field in the electromagnetic wave and the external electric field can be completely separated, so the external electric field has no impact on the light.