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Journal of Logistical Engineering University

Reinterpret Vector in Electromagnetic Theories

Gu Yong

Published Jan 1, 2004• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

In classic theories, the movement equations of the system just include the field itself, so vectorA is introduced for the mathematical demand , it is considered that only the field has a direct physics meaning. With the research named as Aharonov - Bohm, people find out B is not enough to describe the magnetic field, it can not explain the phenomena of electronics in outside magnetic field , for example, interference and dispersion. In this paper, vectorA in electromagnetic theories has be reinterpreted and redefined.

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Reinterpreation Vector A in Quantum Mechanics

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This text introduces the electromagnetism AB effect by quoting an experiment done by Chambers R.G.of England.According to the basic concept of the quantum theory,we compute the ambulatory value of two kinds of interference.Its calculation is completely equal to the experiment data.So we can conclude vector A has the basic physics meaning and the certain phyusics effect in quantum theories.Therefore,vector A has directly effect on electronic dynamics behavior in outside magnetic field.In order to understand that vector A is a basic physics entity,vector A is redefined as a new physical entity as the definition of E and B.

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We present a review and discussion of the physical meaning of the vector potential in electromagnetism by means of a classical experiment in which a long solenoid, connected to a sinusoidal voltage supply, produces an electric field and a vector potential in a circuit exterior to the solenoid itself. Some basic considerations are recalled concerning the meaning of action-at-a-distance and local description, in terms of 'real fields' of the induced electromotive force on the circuit outside the solenoid. From this viewpoint the roles played by the magnetic field, the electric field and the vector potential to account for the physical effects are reviewed. Finally, the connections between these considerations and the magnetic Aharonov–Bohm effect are recalled in the light of recent theoretical work aimed at explaining the Aharonov–Bohm phase shift in terms of the magnetic field without resorting to the vector potential.

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Aptly named Aharonov-Bohm effect has classical analogue, long history

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I am an author of the 1961 paper that first called the Aharonov-Bohm effect by that name. 1 1. M. Peshkin, I. Talmi, L. J. Tassie, Ann. Phys. 12, 426 (1961). The term has since appeared in more than 1000 published papers. However, it has been suggested a few times, most recently by Peter Sturrock and Timothy Groves, that the name does not do justice to Werner Ehrenberg and Raymond Siday, who found in 1949 that the motion of electrons can be influenced by magnetic fields confined to regions that the electrons do not enter. 2 2. W. Ehrenberg, R. E. Siday, Proc. Phys. Soc. B 62, 8 (1949). I argue that the name Aharonov-Bohm effect is appropriate, although for a reason that I did not fully appreciate in 1961.The 1959 Aharonov-Bohm paper profoundly changed the way we think about electromagnetic fields in quantum mechanics. 3 3. Y. Aharonov, D. Bohm, Phys. Rev. 115, 485 (1959). The gauge-invariant part of the vector potential was promoted to a real physical field, not just a convenient device for summarizing certain information about the electric and magnetic fields. In the words of C. N. Yang, “The electromagnetic field strength fµv in quantum mechanics underdescribes electromagnetism, as the Bohm-Aharonov effect demonstrates … information about the phase factor exp[ie∮(A⋅dx)/ℏc] for all closed loops correctly describes electromagnetism.” 4 4. C. N. Yang, in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in the Light of New Technology, Tokyo, 1983, S. Kamefuchi et al. , eds., Physical Society of Japan, Tokyo (1984), p. 5.See also T. T. Wu, C. N. Yang, Phys. Rev. D 12, 3845 (1975). A century earlier, James Clerk Maxwell changed the way we think about action at a distance by identifying what we now call the Maxwell fields as real physical things that contain energy and momentum and that enable microscopic conservation laws; they are not just mathematical functions that summarize the necessary information about the past motions of charges. Later those physical fields had to be quantized. Yakir Aharonov and David Bohm found that in quantum mechanics the Maxwell fields in a multiply connected region do not contain all the physics; the vector potential must also be endowed with reality to make sense of the subtler interactions in quantum mechanics. Neither Aharonov and Bohm nor Ehrenberg and Siday were the first to observe that magnetic fields in places where a charged particle’s wave function vanishes may influence the motion of that particle. 5 5. P. A. M. Dirac, Proc. R. Soc. London A 133, 60 (1931) F. London, Nature 140, 793 (1937). Paul Dirac, in his 1931 paper on magnetic monopoles, noted that the electron’s wavefunction must vanish on singular flux lines but said nothing about that raising any question of nonlocality. Fritz London pointed out in the 1930s that the motion of electrons in a superconducting ring depends on an external magnetic flux through the hole in the ring, where the electrons cannot go. He wrote in his 1937 paper, “The most stable state of a ring has no current, unless an external magnetic field is applied.” Like Dirac, he said nothing about a nonlocal action of the magnetic field being surprising or unusual. Of course, London, like Dirac, was focusing on something else.Ehrenberg and Siday were also focusing on something else—electron optics—when they found in 1949 that the motion of an electron can depend on the magnetic field in a region from which the electron is excluded. They chose not to mention that curious phenomenon in the abstract of their paper, although they did explicitly say elsewhere that it was “curious.”None of those earlier authors went on to conclude that such a phenomenon implies that the vector potential has to be seen as a real physical field in quantum mechanics. Only Aharonov and Bohm did that.REFERENCESSection:ChooseTop of pageREFERENCES <<1. M. Peshkin, I. Talmi, L. J. Tassie, Ann. Phys. 12, 426 (1961). Google ScholarCrossref, ISI2. W. Ehrenberg, R. E. Siday, Proc. Phys. Soc. B 62, 8 (1949). Google ScholarCrossref3. Y. Aharonov, D. Bohm, Phys. Rev. 115, 485 (1959). Google ScholarCrossref, ISI4. C. N. Yang, in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in the Light of New Technology, Tokyo, 1983, S. Kamefuchi et al. , eds., Physical Society of Japan, Tokyo (1984), p. 5. Google ScholarSee also T. T. Wu, C. N. Yang, Phys. Rev. D 12, 3845 (1975). Google ScholarCrossref, ISI5. P. A. M. Dirac, Proc. R. Soc. London A 133, 60 (1931) Google ScholarCrossref F. London, Nature 140, 793 (1937). , Google ScholarCrossref© 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Physics Today•Aug 1, 2010•1 citation

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The most popular interpretation of the Aharonov–Bohm (AB) effect is that the electromagnetic potential locally affects the complex phase of a charged particle’s wave function in the magnetic field free region. However, since the vector potential is a gauge-variant quantity, multiple researchers suspect that it is just a convenient tool for calculating the force field. This motivates them to explain the AB effect without using the vector potential, which inevitably leads to some sort of non-locality. This frustrating situation is shortly summarized by the statement by Aharonov et al. that the AB effect may be due to a local gauge potential or due to non-local gauge-invariant fields. In the present paper, we shall give several convincing arguments which support the viewpoint that the vector potential is not just a convenient mathematical tool with little physical entity. Despite its gauge arbitrariness, the vector potential certainly contains a gauge-invariant piece, which solely explains the observed AB phase shift. Importantly, this component has a property such that it is basically unique and cannot be eliminated by any regular gauge transformations. To complete the discussion, we also discuss the role of remaining gauge arbitrariness still contained in the entire vector potential.

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Journal of Xinzhou Teachers University•Jan 1, 2010•0 citations
In classic theories, the movement equations of the system just include the field itself, so vectorA is introduced for the mathematical demand , it is considered that only the field has a direct physics meaning. With the research named as Aharonov - Bohm, people find out B is not enough to describe the magnetic field, it can not explain the phenomena of electronics in outside magnetic field , for example, interference and dispersion. In this paper, vectorA in electromagnetic theories has be reinterpreted and redefined.
This text introduces the electromagnetism AB effect by quoting an experiment done by Chambers R.G.of England.According to the basic concept of the quantum theory,we compute the ambulatory value of two kinds of interference.Its calculation is completely equal to the experiment data.So we can conclude vector A has the basic physics meaning and the certain phyusics effect in quantum theories.Therefore,vector A has directly effect on electronic dynamics behavior in outside magnetic field.In order to understand that vector A is a basic physics entity,vector A is redefined as a new physical entity as the definition of E and B.
We present a review and discussion of the physical meaning of the vector potential in electromagnetism by means of a classical experiment in which a long solenoid, connected to a sinusoidal voltage supply, produces an electric field and a vector potential in a circuit exterior to the solenoid itself. Some basic considerations are recalled concerning the meaning of action-at-a-distance and local description, in terms of 'real fields' of the induced electromotive force on the circuit outside the solenoid. From this viewpoint the roles played by the magnetic field, the electric field and the vector potential to account for the physical effects are reviewed. Finally, the connections between these considerations and the magnetic Aharonov–Bohm effect are recalled in the light of recent theoretical work aimed at explaining the Aharonov–Bohm phase shift in terms of the magnetic field without resorting to the vector potential.
I am an author of the 1961 paper that first called the Aharonov-Bohm effect by that name. 1 1. M. Peshkin, I. Talmi, L. J. Tassie, Ann. Phys. 12, 426 (1961). The term has since appeared in more than 1000 published papers. However, it has been suggested a few times, most recently by Peter Sturrock and Timothy Groves, that the name does not do justice to Werner Ehrenberg and Raymond Siday, who found in 1949 that the motion of electrons can be influenced by magnetic fields confined to regions that the electrons do not enter. 2 2. W. Ehrenberg, R. E. Siday, Proc. Phys. Soc. B 62, 8 (1949). I argue that the name Aharonov-Bohm effect is appropriate, although for a reason that I did not fully appreciate in 1961.The 1959 Aharonov-Bohm paper profoundly changed the way we think about electromagnetic fields in quantum mechanics. 3 3. Y. Aharonov, D. Bohm, Phys. Rev. 115, 485 (1959). The gauge-invariant part of the vector potential was promoted to a real physical field, not just a convenient device for summarizing certain information about the electric and magnetic fields. In the words of C. N. Yang, “The electromagnetic field strength fµv in quantum mechanics underdescribes electromagnetism, as the Bohm-Aharonov effect demonstrates … information about the phase factor exp[ie∮(A⋅dx)/ℏc] for all closed loops correctly describes electromagnetism.” 4 4. C. N. Yang, in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in the Light of New Technology, Tokyo, 1983, S. Kamefuchi et al. , eds., Physical Society of Japan, Tokyo (1984), p. 5.See also T. T. Wu, C. N. Yang, Phys. Rev. D 12, 3845 (1975). A century earlier, James Clerk Maxwell changed the way we think about action at a distance by identifying what we now call the Maxwell fields as real physical things that contain energy and momentum and that enable microscopic conservation laws; they are not just mathematical functions that summarize the necessary information about the past motions of charges. Later those physical fields had to be quantized. Yakir Aharonov and David Bohm found that in quantum mechanics the Maxwell fields in a multiply connected region do not contain all the physics; the vector potential must also be endowed with reality to make sense of the subtler interactions in quantum mechanics. Neither Aharonov and Bohm nor Ehrenberg and Siday were the first to observe that magnetic fields in places where a charged particle’s wave function vanishes may influence the motion of that particle. 5 5. P. A. M. Dirac, Proc. R. Soc. London A 133, 60 (1931) F. London, Nature 140, 793 (1937). Paul Dirac, in his 1931 paper on magnetic monopoles, noted that the electron’s wavefunction must vanish on singular flux lines but said nothing about that raising any question of nonlocality. Fritz London pointed out in the 1930s that the motion of electrons in a superconducting ring depends on an external magnetic flux through the hole in the ring, where the electrons cannot go. He wrote in his 1937 paper, “The most stable state of a ring has no current, unless an external magnetic field is applied.” Like Dirac, he said nothing about a nonlocal action of the magnetic field being surprising or unusual. Of course, London, like Dirac, was focusing on something else.Ehrenberg and Siday were also focusing on something else—electron optics—when they found in 1949 that the motion of an electron can depend on the magnetic field in a region from which the electron is excluded. They chose not to mention that curious phenomenon in the abstract of their paper, although they did explicitly say elsewhere that it was “curious.”None of those earlier authors went on to conclude that such a phenomenon implies that the vector potential has to be seen as a real physical field in quantum mechanics. Only Aharonov and Bohm did that.REFERENCESSection:ChooseTop of pageREFERENCES <<1. M. Peshkin, I. Talmi, L. J. Tassie, Ann. Phys. 12, 426 (1961). Google ScholarCrossref, ISI2. W. Ehrenberg, R. E. Siday, Proc. Phys. Soc. B 62, 8 (1949). Google ScholarCrossref3. Y. Aharonov, D. Bohm, Phys. Rev. 115, 485 (1959). Google ScholarCrossref, ISI4. C. N. Yang, in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in the Light of New Technology, Tokyo, 1983, S. Kamefuchi et al. , eds., Physical Society of Japan, Tokyo (1984), p. 5. Google ScholarSee also T. T. Wu, C. N. Yang, Phys. Rev. D 12, 3845 (1975). Google ScholarCrossref, ISI5. P. A. M. Dirac, Proc. R. Soc. London A 133, 60 (1931) Google ScholarCrossref F. London, Nature 140, 793 (1937). , Google ScholarCrossref© 2010 American Institute of Physics.
It is frequently stated that the electromagnetic vector potential acquires a fundamental role in quantum physics, whereas classically it only represents a convenient, but by no means necessary, way of representing the electromagnetic field. Here we argue that this is a historical accident due to the fact that the electromagnetic field was discovered before photons, while the electron itself was discovered first as a particle, before it became clear that it must also be treated as a wave and therefore as an excitation of the underlying electron field. We illustrate the fact that the vector potential ought to play a fundamental role classically using the Aharonov-Bohm effect. This effect is considered as the strongest argument for the role the vector potential plays in quantum physics, however, here we offer a fully classical account of it. This is a consequence of the fact that any account, be it classical or quantum, must involve the vector potential in order to preserve the local nature of the Aharonov-Bohm (as well as all the other) phases.
The most popular interpretation of the Aharonov–Bohm (AB) effect is that the electromagnetic potential locally affects the complex phase of a charged particle’s wave function in the magnetic field free region. However, since the vector potential is a gauge-variant quantity, multiple researchers suspect that it is just a convenient tool for calculating the force field. This motivates them to explain the AB effect without using the vector potential, which inevitably leads to some sort of non-locality. This frustrating situation is shortly summarized by the statement by Aharonov et al. that the AB effect may be due to a local gauge potential or due to non-local gauge-invariant fields. In the present paper, we shall give several convincing arguments which support the viewpoint that the vector potential is not just a convenient mathematical tool with little physical entity. Despite its gauge arbitrariness, the vector potential certainly contains a gauge-invariant piece, which solely explains the observed AB phase shift. Importantly, this component has a property such that it is basically unique and cannot be eliminated by any regular gauge transformations. To complete the discussion, we also discuss the role of remaining gauge arbitrariness still contained in the entire vector potential.