Existence of a New Conservation Law in Electromagnetic Theory

Daniel M. Lipkin

Citation: J. Math. Phys. 5, 696 (1964); doi: 10.1063/1.1704165

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 JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS VOLUME 5. NUMBER 5 MAY 1964

Existence of a New Conservation Law in Electromagnetic Theory

DANIEL M. LIPKIN
American Electronic Laboratories, Inc., Colmar, Penn8ylvania
(Received 17 January 1964)

Ten new extensive quantities that appear to be independent of stress-~mergy, but that analogously
characterize the physical state of an electromagnetic field, are exhibited and are shown to be con-
served in vacuum because of Maxwell's equations. These new quantities are shown to be capable of
retrograde flow in a circularly polarized plane-wave field.

1. INTRODUCTION matically independent of those quantities. The

present paper details the basic mathematical facts
I N a general study of time-periodic electromagnetic
fields in vacuum, it was noticed that the real concerning the new conserved quantities, including
vector field [!i!3(E* xE + H* xH)], which has the the proof of their conservation based upon Maxwell's
mathematical form of a time-averaged quantity, is equations, and deduces a few simple properties of
solenoidal because of Maxwell's equations. This these quantities.
vector field was therefore recognized to be capable
2. NOTATION
of representing the time-averaged flux of a conserved
physical quantity. Simple considerations reveal that A system of inertia is assumed and is referred
the more general expression for the instantaneous to orthogonal, rectilinear, real coordinates (T = et,
flux of this conserved quantity in a non periodic x, y, z) == (XO, x\ x 2, x8) in which the metric tensor
field is (E xaEjaT + H xaHjaT), and that the g;k takes the diagonal Minkowskian form of signature
spatial density of the conserved quantity is identifi- - 2. Four-dimensional index notation is used, but
able as [E . (curl E) + H· (curl H)]. In other words, is augmented by 3-vector notation in those places
for an arbitrary electromagnetic field in vacuum, where the latter may be convenient or more ex-
Maxwell's equations were found to guarantee the pressive. Tensor indices have the range 0, 1, 2,
validity of the differential conservation law, 3, except if they precede g in the alphabet, where
the restricted range 1, 2, 3 applies. An index of
div [EX :~ + H x ~~ ] the latter type, enclosed in parentheses, indicates
the corresponding Cartesian component of any 3-
+ aTa [E· (curl E) + H·(curl H)] = 0. (1)
vector expression to which it is attached. The
Einstein summation convention is employed for all
doubled indices, over the range appropriate to them,
Curiosity concerning the significance of this
and the comma denotes partial differentiation. E; ikm
unusual conservation law stimulated a successful
is the completely antisymmetric tensor density for
attempt to express it in homogeneous tensor nota-
four dimensions, and Eobc is the similar permutation
tion, and led to the discovery that it involved a
symbol for three dimensions (E0 123 = Em = +1).
tensor of valence three. The tensorial form of Eq. (1)
The electromagnetic field (E, H) or (Eo, Ho) is
was then found to express nine additional conserva-
expressed in Gaussian units and is represented in
tion laws, akin to Eq. (1), and of equally unfamiliar
a conventional way by means of an antisymmetric
form. This unexpected discovery of a complete set
tensor cf>ik defined by cf>oo = Eo and cf>ob = Eo&cH••
of ten new conservation equations is a source of
Maxwell's equations for vacuum are then expressed
mathematical embarras de riehesses because of the
concisely as
lack of any ready physical interpretation for the
quantities that are found to be conserved. Never- P·cf>..P•• = 0,
E..... (2)
theless, the existence of an extensive formal super-
structure of new conserved quantities in the classical (3)
electromagnetic theory of the vacuum may be of
some interest; these new conserved quantities 3. BASIC STATEMENT OF THE CONSERVATION
LAW
augment the known stress-energy quantities of the
electromagnetic field, and appear to be mathe- Consider the tensor Zi;J· (of valence 3 and weight
696

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 CONSERVATION LAW IN ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY 697

+1) that is defined as follows: 4. PROOF OF THE CONSERVATION LAW

Z'f~ = [ig'r gbiP"'Q+ i l rl"E'P"'Q By differentiating Eq. (4) to form the divergence
Ziik. k, the following expression is obtained for that
+ ig'r lo/P"'" + tg ir y'0/pm.. divergence:
_ !g"0y''''Eikrp _ !g"OgimEikrp Ziik ,k = [.!girgktl
4 E
ipmo + [Link] g i"..o
b
E

_ Ag"Og'P
2 E
ikrm _ A2g"0 gipEikrm]../. ../.
'l'm,,'I'po,r· (4) + 'i19irgiO E
ktI ..." + .lgir gE
4
io kp",..

1 g"Ogim Eikrp
Ig nq g1m Eiltrp 1
This tensor has the symmetry property - I -
_ AgnOg'p ikrm _ .lgno ip ikr"']../. ../.
(5) 2 E 2 g E 'l'm,,'I'po,rk

which can be verified by inspection of Eq. (4),

+ [iy'r lnEipm o + i-gir lnE,pmo
and satisfies the divergence equation + i-y'r gio/"mn + i-l ry'o/pm..
Z'ik,k = 0, (6) _ !g""gimEikr" _ !gnOgi"'Eikr"
_ !g"0y'''Eikrm _ .lg"Ogi"Eikrm]../.
2
_../. (10)
which is a weak identity based upon the Maxwell 'i'mft,,,,*,»a.p-

vacuum equations. Because of the symmetry

By inspection, the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th terms
expressed by Eq. (5), the set (6) contains at most
of Eq. (10) are seen to vanish identically because
ten independent equations.
they involve contractions of expressions that are
The divergence equation (6) can be interpreted as
antisymmetric in rand k with an expression that
expressing differential conservation laws for ten
is symmetric in the same indices. The index permuta-
quantities that may be hypothesized to possess
tion [em, p)(n, q)(k, r)], which is allowable inside
some important physical significance. The tensor
the second square bracket in Eq. (10), shows that
components ZiiO are to be interpreted as the spatial
the 15th term is identically the negative of the
densities of the conserved quantities, and the
13th term, and that the 16th term is identically
remaining tensor components Ziic are to be in-
the negative of the 14th term, so that these four
terpreted as the components of the spatial 3-vectors
terms are also identically eliminated. The 9th and
expressing the fluxes of the conserved quantities.
10th terms of Eq. (10) can be seen to vanish because
The conserved quantities may therefore conveniently
of the Maxwell equation (3), while the 11th and 12th
be labeled by the first two indices of the descriptive
terms vanish because of the Maxwell equation (2).
tensor Ziik.
Thus, only the first four terms of Eq. (10) survive,
Thus, with reference to any closed, stationary
enabling that equation to be condensed to
Gaussian surface S enclosing a vacuum region of
space, the extensive quantity Zi i defined by volume
integration inside S,
(11)
Zii = JZiiO dx dy dz, (7) The further reduction of this equation is greatly
facilitated by the use of the following identity:
expresses the total amount of the (i, j)th conserved gkm ik mnpa
quantity that S momentarily contains. The extensive [g knEhmHI -
i'Pfttl.
E -gE

quantity Fii defined by surface integration over S, + gOkE"'''''i + g"kE"'''iO] = o. (12)

(8) The proof of this identity is surprisingly simple.

Inspection shows that the left-hand side of Eq. (12)
correspondingly represents the total rate at which is completely antisymmetric in the five free indices
the (i, i)th conserved quantity is momentarily (m, n, p, q, i); it must therefore vanish in four
flowing out of the volume bounded by S. The dimensions, where at least two out of any set of
integral form of the conservation law expressed by five free indices must always be equal.
Eq. (6), in terms of the extensive quantities Zii By contracting the identity (12) with CPP•• '" taking
and Fi i just defined, is advantage of antisymmetries that exist, relabeling
dummy indices, and rearranging terms, the following
(9) less obvious identity is derived:

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 698 DANIEL M. LIPKIN

(g ktoEi:l>"'9 _ gk ..Eitma)A..
'l'pa.k
ZOOc = Zoco _ [curl (E xH)](c). (20)
= gia Ekp....'l'k"..
A.. _ 2E...."i([Link].. )
'I'" •• k • (13) ZObc = zbeo + Ec d.[!(E 2
+ H2)Obd
The last term on the right-hand side of Eq. (13)
vanishes because of the Maxwell equation (3) ;
when this term is dropped from Eq. (13), the
resulting weak identity can be differentiated with + HbE•. c - EbH•. c). (22)
respect to x', and then contracted with cP ..", to give
The original conservation equation (1) is seen to be
the following weak identity:
represented by the particular case i= j=O of Eq. (6).

Adding the term [gial"",ncP",,,cP,,.,'k] to both sides of 6. PROPERTmS OF THE DESCRIPTIVE TENSOR
Eq. (14) and rearranging the right-hand side, the
A. Independence of Stress-Energy
following weak identity is next obtained:
(g kn Eip... + gi. k"m")A..
E
A..
"f'mn,+,pa,rk
The tensor Z'i\ according to its defining equation
(4), is bilinear in the electromagnetic field and its
= !giOlP"'''cPm,,[cPp •. k + cP.k.P + cPkP .•L. (15) first partial derivatives. As such, it is similar in
structure to tensors that can be constructed from
However, the square bracket in Eq. (15) vanishes
the first partial derivatives of the components of
because of the Maxwell equation (2); the following
the conventional stress-energy tensor T "'". The
weak identity has therefore been proved on the
tensor Zi ik is independent of the stress-energy
basis of Maxwell's equations:
tensor, however, in the sense that the components
(g b Eipmo + gi. kp",,,)A..
E
A..
'l'mn'l''PQ,rk
= 0• (16) of Zii k cannot be represented as linear combinations
of the derivatives T "'''.P' taken with constant
This equation (together with the same equation
coefficients, even when the Maxwell equations are
with the free index j replaced by i) obviously
freely used. This can be seen particularly clearly in
suffices to prove the vanishing of the right-hand
the case of the components ZOOO and Z·bO, although
side of Eq. (11). This completes the proof of the
the proof of this is not displayed here.
divergence equation (6) on the basis of Maxwell's
Earlier formulas that contained fewer terms than
vacuum equations, and provides the foundation for
Eq. (4) were considered for the definition of the
the conservation law under discussion.
tensor Zii\ but were rejected because detailed
5. COMPONENTS OF THE DESCRIPTIVE TENSOR
examination revealed that the individual components
of the tensor contained extraneous terms that were
Straightforward calculation from Eq. (4), with identically conserved independently of Maxwell's
the free use of Maxwell's equations, indicates that equations, or that were expressible in terms of the
the individual components Zi ik of the descriptive first derivatives of the stress-energy tensor. The
tensor can be expressed fairly simply in terms of majority of the extraneous terms of the second type
the electric and magnetic field vectors and their and, it is believed, all the extraneous terms of the first
derivatives. The spatial density components ZiiO type, have been eliminated by covariant subtrac-
are found to be given by the following formulas: tions. These subtractions necessitated the present
ZOOO = [E· (curl E) + H·(curl H)], (17)
lengthy form of Eq. (4), but led to the recognition
of the symmetry expressed by Eq. (5), and gave
ZObO =[ aE aH]
E x aT + H x aT (b)' (18)
the simple component expressions displayed in Eqs.
(17)-(22). In Eq. (4), the last four terms, taken
Z·bO = oob[E'(curl E) + H·(curl H)] together, are not only expressible completely in
terms of stress-energy derivatives, but even have
- E.(curl E)(b) - H.(curl H)(b) a vanishing contribution to the divergence Z;;k.k
- Eb(curl E)(o) - Hb(curl H)(.). (19) independently of the Maxwell equations; the subtrac-
tion of these four terms in Eq. (4) is nevertheless
Note that the quantity ZOOO equals the trace of desirable because it frees the tensor components
the matrix formed of the quantities Z·bO. The flux Ziik of a great many stress-energy derivatives whose
components zoic are found to be given by the presence is otherwise implied, but implied much
following formulas: less obviously, by the first four terms of Eq. (4).

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 CONSERVATION LAW IN ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY 699

The tensor Zi ik has been normalized to give the (2) and (3), as can be proved by proceeding from
component ZOOO the value specified by Eq. (17), Eq. (4) with the aid of the identity expressed by
modulo the Maxwell equations. Eq. (12). The inability of simple contractions to
The extent of the subtractions of stress-energy non trivially lower the valence of the tensor Zi Ik
derivatives that have been made in arriving at the implies that the same means are also incapable
present form for Eq. (4) can be largely understood of lowering the tensor valence of the basic divergence
by examining the following rearranged form of equation (6).
Eq. (4):
C. Conservation Symmetries
Ziik = [!g'r(l''Ei"mo + lOl""''')cf>mncf>"o.r In stress-energy theory, the fact is familiar that
_ 27r (gim Eikn" _ gi'" kin" + gkm iin")Tmn,,,] ,
E E (23)
the vector flux of energy is proportional to the
in which T .." stands for the conventional stress- spatial density of momentum. In the case of the
energy tensor of the electromagnetic field, new conserved quantities under discussion, a larger
but analogous set of symmetries exists. Thus, with
T ..n = (1/47r)(8:;'8~ - tgragmn)cf>r"g"°cf>o.' (24) reference to the formulas (18)-(21), the following
In the formulation of the tensor Ziik given by relationships are found to hold (neglecting the curl
Eqs. (4) or (23), the only remaining terms that its terms of flux discussed in Sec. 6A above): The
components contain which are identifiable as being vector flux of the (0, O)th conserved quantity
(described by the components ZOOb) is proportional
proportional to stress-energy derivatives T "'"." are
the curl of the Poynting vector, appearing in Eq. to the 3-vector formed from the spatial densities
(20) and implicitly in Eq. (22), and the Maxwell of the three (0, b)th conserved quantities (described
stress gradients appearing in Eq. (21). These terms by the components ZObO); but, in turn, the compo-
affect the localization of the fluxes of the new nents of the vector fluxes of the (0, b)th conserved
conserved quantities, but not the localization of quantities (described by the components ZObc) are
their spatial densities. Upon closer examination, proportional to the spatial densities of the (b, c)th
all of these residual flux terms that involve stress- conserved quantities (described by the components
ZbCO).
energy derivatives are seen to be curl terms whose
3-divergences vanish identically; they therefore do 7. PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS OF THE CONSERVED
not contribute to the total efflux integrals Fii QUANTITIES
defined by Eq. (8), and thus have no effect on the
The ten conserved extensive quantities Zi I defined
rates of flow of the new conserved quantities over
by Eq. (7) all have units of dynes, and are presum-
extended regions of space. These curl terms have
ably dynamical quantities of some sort. If the
identically vanishing instantaneous values in the
definition of the descriptive tensor Zi /k were
important case of a time-periodic plane-wave field
augmented by a dimensional factor equal to the
of arbitrary type of polarization, further supporting
velocity of light, then the conserved quantities Zi i
the conclusion that their presence is completely
would have the dimensions of ergs per second. This
inessential. The curl terms in question may not be
very crudely suggests that the Zii might provide a
arbitrarily dropped from their respective equations,
measure of some sort of activity in the field, a
being required from the standpoint of covariance,
suggestion that finds support in the fact that the
but their elimination may be sought by means of
densities of the new conserved quantities all vanish
some further covariant subtraction process.
in a static field [see Eqs. (17)-(19), modulo Max-
well's equations].
B. Vanishing of Contractions Without the introduction of dimensional factors
No nonvanishing 4-vectors can be constructed more arbitrary than the velocity of light, the units
from the descriptive tensor Zi ik by contracting it of the conserved quantities Zi I cannot be brought
with the usual constant tensors. Thus, the contrac- into coincidence with those of action per unit time
tion EiikmZiik vanishes identically because of the or of angular momentum. This, together with the
symmetry property expressed by Eq. (5); the con- distinctness of the new conserved quantities from
traction g HZ i ik can be shown to vanish because of stress-energy, discussed previously, and the un-
the Maxwell equations (2) and (3), by direct calcula- familiar form of the new conservation laws, suggests
tion from Eq. (4); finally, the contractions g",,,ZI"',, = that these conserved quantities may form a funda-
g",,,Zml,, also vanish because of the Maxwell equations mentally new physical entity not heretofore known.

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 700 DANIEL M. LIPKIN

If so, then because of the ubiquitous nature of real, and (A *B - AB*) vanishes. Thus, zilch is not
electromagnetism in physics, these quantities could transported by linearly polarized waves. In the case
be expected to occur in other branches of physical of a right-circularly polarized wave, A = +jB,
theory, just as do energy and momentum. and [j{3(A *B - AB*)] = 2{3 IBI2 > 0; in the case
Pending the satisfactory physical interpretation of a left-circularly polarized wave, A = -jB,
of the new conserved quantities, economy of expres- whereupon [j!3(A *B - AB*)] = -2{3 IBI2 < 0;
sion will be facilitated by assigning them convenient thus, a nonvanishing flow of zilch accompanies any
identifying names; the ten conserved extensive circularly polarized wave, but the direction of this
quantities Z; i defined by Equation (7) will hereby flow reverses with the screw sense of the wave.
be collectively called the "zilch" of the electro- Another unusual property of this flow is that its
magnetic field, and a particular one labeled by the rate is linearly proportional to the frequency of
indices (i, j) will be referred to as the "ij-zilch" oscillation of the field.
of the field. Unlike energy and momentum, which are always
transported in the direction of propagation of the
8. RETROGRADE FLOW OF ZILCH wave field, zilch can evidently be transported either
It is instructive to calculate the zilch density in this direction or in the opposite (or retrograde)
tensor z;
ill in the special case of a time-periodic, direction, depending upon the sense of circular
plane-wave, vacuum electromagnetic field of arbi- polarization of the wave. This behavior of zilch
trary type of polarization. Consider the wave field flow is somewhat similar to what would be expected
to propagate in the +z direction, and employ for quantities representing an intrinsic spin of the
complex phasor notation in which a/aT = +j{3, field, and is suggestive of a possible direction for
where (3 is the propagation constant of the wave. the physical interpretation of zilch. Certainly, the
The components of the electromagnetic field can occurrence of this similarity in what is strictly a
then be expressed as classical field theory would appear to merit further
investigation.
E" = H. = A exp (-j{3z), (25a)
E. = -H., = B exp (-j,8z), (25b) 9. SUMMARY

E. = H. = 0, (25c) The existence of ten new conserved quantities,

where A and B are arbitrary complex coefficients. defined for the electromagnetic field and apparently
With the aid of Eqs. (17)-(22), the time-averaged unrelated to stress-energy, has been mathematically
values of the components Ziik can be computed demonstrated. The new conserved quantities have
to be the following (the bar denotes the time been demonstrated to possess flow properties that
average) : are remarkably different from those of energy and
momentum. The problem of the physical interpreta-
ZOOO = [j{3(A *B - AB*)] , (26a) tion of these new quantities is raised, and the
ZObO = Zoo. = «5~Zooo, (26b) possibility is suggested that they occur in other
areas of physical theory as well as in electro-
ZbcO = ZObc = «5~ «5~Zooo, (26c) magnetism. The nature of the group-invariance
zabc = «5:«5~«5~Zooo. (26d) properties that the new conservation laws may imply
also deserves investigation.
Thus, in the case under consideration, and referring
exclusively to time averages, only the 00-, 03-, and ACKNOWLEDGMENT
33-zilches may have nonvanishing densities and
fluxes, and their fluxes are all aligned parallel to the z The author wishes to thank the referee for
axis. Finally, in the units used (namely, dyn/cm3 for reducing an earlier version of the descriptive tensor
spatial densities, and dyn/cm 2 /light-cm for flux to the form that now constitutes the first half of
components), all nonvanishing spatial densities and Eq. (23), for comments suggesting the essential
flux components have a common real value, equal symmetry of the descriptive tensor in its first two
to [j{3(A *B - AB*)]. indices, and for the impetus to examine and present
In the case of a linearly polarized wave, A/B is the conservation law in greater detail.

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