Minkowski momentum of an MHD wave

TL;DR

This paper investigates the Minkowski electromagnetic momentum in MHD waves, demonstrating it as a sum of electromagnetic and medium momentum, and confirms this through explicit calculations and an example of an MHD wave.

Contribution

It explicitly confirms that Minkowski momentum equals the sum of electromagnetic and medium momentum in MHD waves, and shows how to construct a symmetric energy-momentum tensor.

Findings

Minkowski momentum includes electromagnetic and medium contributions

Explicit example confirms theoretical predictions

Constructs a symmetric energy-momentum tensor based on Minkowski momentum

Abstract

The momentum of an MHD wave has been examined from the view point of the electromagnetic momentum expression derived by Minkowski. Basic calculations show that the Minkowski momentum is the sum of electromagnetic momentum and the momentum of the medium, as proposed in some of the past literature. The result has been explicitly confirmed by an example of an MHD wave, whose dynamics can be easily and precisely calculated from basic equations. The example of MHD wave also demonstrates the possiblility to construct a symmetric energy-momentum tensor based on the Minkowski momentum.