Timeline for Why Does Light Not Become Polarized In A Magnetic and/or Electric Field?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
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| Feb 10, 2013 at 21:47 | comment | added | JKL | @emarti Thanks for your comment. In the presence of a material of course light can become polarised, and it does not need an external magnetic field for this, as with polarising filters. However, you are right, in the presence of matter the magnetic field sets off other effects in the material, a solid say, known from standard EM theory and they are interesting. The discussion was focussed on the point whether a magnetic field on its own can polirise light. In this case one can consider very strong magnetic fields in which $e^+-e^- pairs can be created. This has interesting effects. Regards | |
| Feb 10, 2013 at 21:12 | comment | added | emarti | @John, if we're discussing the Faraday effect, it's completely incorrect to say that there's no interaction. The whole point is that you can use materials to couple DC magnetic fields and optical fields. If you restrict yourself to a vacuum, you miss most of the interesting phenomena in electromagnetism and I'd be out of a job. | |
| Feb 9, 2013 at 13:44 | comment | added | JKL | @JoeHobbit Many thanks for that. The point is that we are all learning something, and that is by far more valuable. | |
| Feb 9, 2013 at 7:45 | history | bounty ended | Dale | ||
| Feb 9, 2013 at 7:44 | comment | added | Dale | One thing separated your answer from the others: Yours mentioned that a dipole/monopole, which is lacking in light, is required to interact with an electric or magnetic field. I almost chose anna v's answer for clarity regarding the exceptional event of Delbruk Scattering. | |
| Feb 5, 2013 at 19:02 | history | edited | JKL | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Feb 5, 2013 at 12:58 | comment | added | JKL | @JoeHobbit That is correct. The electromagnetic force (that is magnetic and electric fields) couple only to electric charges or magnetic poles in the form of dipoles such as the magnetic compass for example. This is why neutrinos are hard to detect as they do not interact with the electromagnetic field. Also thing of the way charged particles such as e+ and e- are detected in bubble chambers, taken by the strong magnetic field in opposite circular motion and give the famous V-shape tracks. I hope this helps? | |
| Feb 5, 2013 at 1:56 | comment | added | Dale | Are you saying that a magnetic dipole and/or an electric monopole is required to interact with an electric or magnetic field? How can magnetic fields (in EM waves) exist without dipoles? | |
| Feb 4, 2013 at 22:46 | history | answered | JKL | CC BY-SA 3.0 |