1.II .34D. 34 \mathrm{D} \quad

Electrodynamics | Part II, 2008

Frame S\mathcal{S}^{\prime} is moving with uniform speed vv in the xx-direction relative to a laboratory frame S\mathcal{S}. The components of the electric and magnetic fields E\mathbf{E} and B\mathbf{B} in the two frames are related by the Lorentz transformation

where γ=1/1v2\gamma=1 / \sqrt{1-v^{2}} and units are chosen so that c=1c=1. How do the components of the spatial vector F=E+iB\mathbf{F}=\mathbf{E}+i \mathbf{B} (where i=1i=\sqrt{-1} ) transform?

Show that F\mathbf{F}^{\prime} is obtained from F\mathbf{F} by a rotation through θ\theta about a spatial axis n\mathbf{n}, where n\mathbf{n} and θ\theta should be determined. Hence, or otherwise, show that there are precisely two independent scalars associated with F\mathbf{F} which are preserved by the Lorentz transformation, and obtain them.

[Hint: since v<1|v|<1 there exists a unique real ψ\psi such that v=tanhψv=\tanh \psi.]

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