Gravitation & Relativity Seminar | December 03, 12:00
On Energy–Momentum & Spin: the inertial currents in classical field theory
In special relativity, quantum matter can be classified according to mass-energy and spin. The corresponding field-theoretical notions are the energy-momentum-stress tensor T and the spin angular momentum tensor S. Since each object in physics carries energy and, if fermionic, also spin, the notions of T and S can be spotted in all domains of physics, starting from the mechanical stress in engineering mechanics, over the Maxwell stress in electrodynamics to the energy-momentum tensor of matter in special and in general relativity. We discuss, in particular, asymmetric stress tensors, spin fluids, the Belinfante-Rosenfeld symmetrization of T, the improved energy-momentum of Callan, Coleman, and Jackiw. We discuss in how far Weyl's dictum that only general relativity leads to a proper definition of the energy concept is appropriate. This seminar is open ended and tries to build bridges to relativistic themodynamics.
Universität zu Köln and University of Missouri-Columbia
Seminarraum Theoretische Physik
Contact: not specified