Maxwell–Faraday equation symmetry violation

  • Thread starter Thread starter LostConjugate
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Symmetry
Click For Summary
The discussion centers on the Maxwell–Faraday equation and the nature of magnetic fields, questioning their status as fundamental fields versus mathematical constructs. It highlights the symmetry violation in magnetic fields, where a charge's motion results in a magnetic field that appears only in one direction, raising doubts about the magnetic field's reality. Participants argue that while magnetic fields can be seen as pseudovectors, they exert real forces on charged particles, making them as significant as electric fields. The conversation also touches on the implications for magnetic monopoles, suggesting that if magnetic fields are merely derived from electric fields, the search for monopoles may be unwarranted. Ultimately, the debate emphasizes the complexity of electromagnetic interactions and the ongoing exploration of their foundational principles.
  • #31
I'm feeling devious.

How would you feel about the electric field if you had moving magnetic charges? Now it's the electric field that is the pseudovector.

Finally, you have a wave in free space. E and H both relate to one another via identical looking curl equations. So now which field is real and which is the pseudovector?

The answer is that just as there is space-time where space and time are mixed for different inertial frames, the same is true for E and H. As has been mentioned already, neither field alone is the complete picture. Both together (EM field tensor) is an object you can hang your hat on.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad The vector math of relative motion of wire-loop & bar magnet
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Undergrad Question on Hall Effect and magnetic force
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Motional EMF in Faraday disc, co-rotating magnet axial mean flux
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
596
  • Sticky
Insights Symmetry Arguments and the Infinite Wire with a Current
  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
4K
Graduate Electric field of infinite sheet with time dependent charge
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
2K
Induced Electrical Field (Maxwell-Faraday's Law)
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Undergrad The implications of symmetry + uniqueness in electromagnetism
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Graduate Voltage and current waves in a transmission line
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Undergrad Why are Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz force "so different"?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
How do I generate a magnetic vector field using equations?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K