The spin–orbit interaction and Thomas precession calculation is almost always done in the electron’s rest frame. We show here that the alternative use of the lab frame is interesting in its own right, both because naive expectations fail and because it requires the presence of a “hidden momentum” contribution.
REFERENCES
1.
G. P.
Fisher
, “The Electric Dipole Moment of a Moving Magnetic Dipole
,” Am. J. Phys.
39
, 1528
–1533
(1971
).2.
J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics (Wiley, New York, 1998), 3rd ed.
3.
C. Moller, The Theory of Relativity (Clarendon, Oxford, 1972), 2nd ed.
4.
W. K. H. Panofsky and M. Phillips, Classical Electricity and Magnetism (Addison–Wesley, Reading, MA, 1962), 2nd ed.
5.
R. D. Sard, Relativistic Mechanics (Benjamin, New York, 1970).
6.
E. F. Taylor and J. A. Wheeler, Spacetime Physics (Freeman, San Francisco, 1966).
7.
G. H.
Goedecke
, “Geometry of the Thomas precession
,” Am. J. Phys.
46
, 1055
–1056
(1978
).8.
E. G. P.
Rowe
, “Rest frames for a point particle in special relativity
,” Am. J. Phys.
64
, 1184
–1196
(1996
).9.
J. D.
Hamilton
, “Relativistic precession
,” Am. J. Phys.
64
, 1197
–1201
(1996
).10.
M. W. P.
Strandberg
, “Special relativity completed: The source of some in the magnitude of physical phenomena
,” Am. J. Phys.
54
, 321
–331
(1986
).11.
R. A.
Muller
, “Thomas precession: Where is the torque?
,” Am. J. Phys.
60
, 313
–317
(1992
).12.
H. A.
Farach
, Y.
Aharonov
, C. P.
Poole
, Jr., and S. I.
Zanette
, “Application of the nonlinear vector product to Lorentz transformations
,” Am. J. Phys.
47
, 247
–249
(1979
).13.
H.
Urbantke
, “Physical holonomy, Thomas precession, and Clifford algebra
,” Am. J. Phys.
58
, 747
–750
(1990
).14.
L. H.
Thomas
, “The Kinematics of an Electron with an Axis
,” Philos. Mag.
3
, 1
–22
(1927
).15.
See Ref. 2, problem 11.27, p. 577.
16.
A. O. Barut, Electrodynamics and Classical Theory of Fields and Particles (Dover, New York, 1980).
17.
R. V.
Krotkov
, G. N.
Pellegrini
, N. C.
Ford
, and A. R.
Swift
, “Relativity and the electric dipole moment of a moving, conducting, magnetized sphere
,” Am. J. Phys.
67
, 493
–498
(1999
).18.
R. Becker, Electromagnetic Fields and Interactions (Dover, New York, 1982).
19.
S.
Coleman
and J. H.
Van Vleck
, “Origin of ‘Hidden Momentum Forces’ on Magnets
,” Phys. Rev.
171
, 1370
–1375
(1968
).20.
L.
Vaidman
, “Torque and force on a magnetic dipole
,” Am. J. Phys.
58
, 978
–983
(1990
);V.
Hnizdo
, “Comment on ‘Torque and force on a magnetic dipole,’ by L. Vaidman, [Am. J. Phys. 58, 978–983 (1990)]
,” Am. J. Phys.
60
, 279
–280
(1992
).21.
W. H.
Furry
, “Examples of Momentum Distributions in the Electromagnetic Field and in Matter
,” Am. J. Phys.
37
, 621
–636
(1969
).22.
V.
Hnizdo
, “Conservation of linear and angular momentum and the interaction of a moving charge with a magnetic dipole
,” Am. J. Phys.
60
, 242
–246
(1992
).23.
E.
Comay
, “Exposing ‘hidden momentum,’
” Am. J. Phys.
64
, 1028
–1034
(1996
).24.
V.
Hnizdo
, “Hidden mechanical momentum and the field momentum in stationary electromagnetic and gravitational systems
,” Am. J. Phys.
65
, 515
–518
(1997
).25.
V.
Hnizdo
, “Hidden momentum and the electromagnetic mass of a charge and current carrying body
,” Am. J. Phys.
65
, 55
–65
(1997
).26.
The effective torque appearing on the right-hand side of Eq. (12) was obtained by Namias for the special case of constant relative velocity using a magnetic charge model for the dipole. See
V.
Namias
, “Electrodynamics of moving dipoles: The case of the missing torque
,” Am. J. Phys.
57
, 171
–177
(1989
).27.
Of all the references in this paper, Barut’s (see Ref. 16) derivation on pages 77–80 of the covariant equation of motion for the spin four-vector from a Lagrangian is the most satisfying from a theoretical perspective.
28.
W. Pauli, Theory of Relativity (Pergamon, New York, 1958).
29.
See, e.g., Ref. 4 and R. C. Tolman, Relativity, Thermodynamics, and Cosmology (Clarendon, Oxford, 1934). These authors do not write down the “hidden momentum” contribution explicitly.
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2001 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2001
American Association of Physics Teachers
AAPT members receive access to the American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.