Expressing the Minkowski Field Tensor for Circular Currents

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the expression of the Minkowski field tensor in the context of circular currents, exploring the implications of introducing charge-carrying objects and the resulting changes to the space-time metric.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the validity of the term "Minkowski field tensor," suggesting it refers to the flat space-time metric, which can be expressed in various coordinate systems.
  • Another participant argues that introducing charge-carrying objects leads to a curved space-time metric, moving away from Minkowski space.
  • Concerns are raised about the phrasing of the original question, with suggestions that it reflects a lack of understanding of the subject matter.
  • Some participants express frustration over the engagement with the original poster, suggesting that ignoring non-sensical questions might be more beneficial.
  • There is a call for the original poster to engage with foundational texts to improve their understanding of relativity and differential geometry.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the appropriateness of the original question and the best approach to address it. There is no consensus on how to engage with the original poster's inquiries.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the potential confusion surrounding the terminology and concepts related to Minkowski space and the effects of introducing charges on the space-time metric. There are unresolved assumptions regarding the understanding of relativity and differential geometry by the original poster.

Norman Albers
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How do we express the Minkowski field tensor for circular currents?
 
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Albers, though you're now banned, I'll take this opportunity to explain to you why your question doesn't even make sense.

The Minkowski 'field tensor' (which in itself of dubious terminology) is the flat space-time metric. While you can pick various coordinates to express this in, such as the diag(-1,1,1,1) cartesian form or the spherical form (or infinitely many others), they are all the same thing, flat space-time.

If you then introduce charge carrying objects (and thus some notion of energy) to the system, the space-time will become curved in some way. As such, the space-time metric will no longer be Minkowski but something else. Now if someone were wondering what the space-time metric was, they'd ask "What is the space-time metric for such a system?", or to more closely resemble your question, "What is the Lorentzian space-time metric?" Minkowski is, by it's very name, flat and empty (if you're working in GR).Anything in the space-time will disturb this.

This is why your question isn't particularly well phrased and as pointed out to you in a previous thread, it's somewhat of a sign you are attempting to jump in head first to a subject you know little about. As I told you many weeks ago, it's no skin off my nose if you don't bother to learn any kind of relativity or applied differential geometry, but it would VASTLY aid your understanding and abilities in doing whatever it is you're attempting to do if you did learn some.

Besides, if you're so confident about your amazing ability in relativity, why can't you solve the Einstein Field Equations for a circular current of some kind in the energy-momentum tensor? Or are you not sure how to write a metric in cylindrical coordinates ;)
 
AlphaNumeric said:
Albers, though you're now banned, I'll take this opportunity to explain to you why your question doesn't even make sense.
Why? Wouldn't it be better just to ignore him rather than give him the feeling that he'll get a response from someone whenever he posts non-sensical questions?

Pete
 
I'm a hopeless care for hoping he'll see the light and realize he'd advance so much faster if he actually opened a book and learned rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.
 
don quixote, the patron saint of teachers.
 

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