Electromagnetic radiation produces frame dragging

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that electromagnetic radiation in electrovacuum spacetimes can induce vorticity in observer worldlines, leading to gyroscope precession, similar to effects caused by gravitational waves, with potential observational implications.

Contribution

It introduces the novel idea that electromagnetic radiation can produce frame dragging effects in electrovacuum spacetimes, linking vorticity to electromagnetic energy flux components.

Findings

Electromagnetic radiation induces vorticity in spacetime.

Vorticity is related to Poynting and super-Poynting vectors.

Potential observational effects of electromagnetic-induced frame dragging.

Abstract

It is shown that for a generic electrovacuum spacetime, electromagnetic radiation produces vorticity of worldlines of observers in a Bondi--Sachs frame. Such an effect (and the ensuing gyroscope precession with respect to the lattice) which is a reminiscence of generation of vorticity by gravitational radiation, may be linked to the nonvanishing of components of the Poynting and the super--Poynting vectors on the planes othogonal to the vorticity vector. The possible observational relevance of such an effect is commented.