A heuristic resolution of the Abraham–Minkowski controversy

Abstract

This paper reviews the history and origin of the Abraham-Minkowski controversy and points out that it is a continuation of the controversy over the speed of light in medium. Upon considering an aircraft flying at a constant speed along the great-circle route from the perspective of a geosynchronous space station, we show that the A-M controversy arises from non-local observation. The relative motion refractive index and the gravitational field refractive index are defined by the space-time metric tensor, which reveals the A-M controversy hidden in special and general relativity. As another example, we take light propagating over the surface of the sun, and show that Minkowski and Abraham forces are responsible for the gravitational deflection of light and the Shapiro time delay, respectively. Overall, we heuristically conclude that non-local observation is the cause of the A-M controversy.

A Heuristic Sketch How It Could Fit All Together With Time

“…Recently it has been shown that, indeed, there is a microscopic classical phenomenon, which unambiguously specifies an allowed forward direction of time. An accelerating wave equation has only a solution with time progressing but not in reverse [44,45]. The long-standing Abraham-Minkowski controversy about the speed and momentum of light in a changing medium has been resolved by carefully considering the used frames of reference; i.e., the discussed discrepancies can be ascribed to non-local observations.…”

Optical gravity in a graviton spacetime

“…While Minkowski originally proposed that a light pulse should have momentum nE/c in a dielectric medium of refractive index n, Abraham used a different approach to argue that it should be E/(nc). Ever since this issue has been the subject of a controversy still not close to being settled [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31].…”