Conservation laws and stress–energy–momentum tensors for systems with background fields

This article attempts to delineate the roles played by non-dynamical background structures and Killing symmetries in the construction of stress–energy–momentum tensors generated from a diffeomorphism invariant action density. An intrinsic coordinate independent approach puts into perspective a number of spurious arguments that have historically lead to the main contenders, viz the Belinfante–Rosenfeld stress–energy–momentum tensor derived from a Noether current and the Einstein–Hilbert stress–energy–momentum tensor derived in the context of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Emphasis is placed on the role played by non-dynamical background (phenomenological) structures that discriminate between properties of these tensors particularly in the context of electrodynamics in media. These tensors are used to construct conservation laws in the presence of Killing Lie-symmetric background fields.     

'Wick Rotations': The Noncommutative Hyperboloids and Other Surfaces of Rotations

A 'Wick rotation' is applied to a noncommutative sphere to produce a noncommutative version of the hyperboloids. A harmonic basis of the associated algebra is given. A method of constructing noncommutative analogues of surfaces of rotation, examples of which include the paraboloid and the q-deformed sphere, is given. Also given are mappings between noncommutative surfaces, stereographic projections to the complex plane and unitary representations. A relationship with one-dimensional crystals is highlighted.     

Noncommutative differential geometry, and the matrix representations of generalised algebras

The underly ing algebra I or a noncummutative geometry is taken to be a matrix algebra, and the set of derivatives the ad joint of a subset of traceless matrices. This is sufficient to calculate the dual 1-forms, and show that the space of 1-firms is at free module over the algebra of matrices. The concept of a generalised algebra is delined and it is shown that this is required in order for the space of 2-forms to exist, The exterior derivative is generalised for higher-order forms and these are also shown to he free modules over the matrix algebra. Examples of mappings that preserve the differential Structure are peen, Also giken are four examples of matrix generalised algebras, and the corresponding noncommutntive geometries, including the cases where the generalised algebra corresponds to a representation of a Lie algebra or a q-deformed algebra.     

Asymptotic analysis of ultra-relativistic charge

This article offers a new approach for analysing the dynamic behaviour of distributions of charged particles in an electromagnetic field. After discussing the limitations inherent in the Lorentz-Dirac equation for a single point particle a simple model is proposed for a charged continuum interacting self-consistently with the Maxwell field in vacuo. The model is developed using intrinsic tensor field theory and exploits to the full the symmetry and light-cone structure of Minkowski spacetime. This permits the construction of a regular stress-energy tensor whose vanishing divergence determines a system of non-linear partial differential equations for the velocity and self-fields of accelerated charge. Within this covariant framework a particular perturbation scheme is motivated by an exact class of solutions to this system describing the evolution of a charged fluid under the combined effects of both self and external electromagnetic fields. The scheme yields an asymptotic approximation in terms of inhomogeneous linear equations for the self-consistent Maxwell field, charge current and time-like velocity field of the charged fluid and is defined as an ultra-relativistic configuration. To facilitate comparisons with existing accounts of beam dynamics an appendix translates the tensor formulation of the perturbation scheme into the language involving electric and magnetic fields observed in a laboratory (inertial) frame.