ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD TENSOR: LORENTZ

TRANSFORMATIONS

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Reference: Moore, Thomas A., A General Relativity Workbook, Univer-
sity Science Books (2013) - Chapter 7; Problems 7.1.
Griffiths, David J. (2007), Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd Edition;
Pearson Education - Chapter 12, Problem 12.48.
Post date: 26 Mar 2013.
To apply this to Griffiths problem 12.48, use

t01 t02 t03

 
0
 −t01 0 t12 t13 
tij =  02 12
 (1)
 −t −t 0 t23 
−t03 −t13 −t23 0
in place of F ij in what follows. The results are the same.
The electromagnetic field tensor is
 
0 Ex Ey Ez
 −Ex 0 Bz −By 
F ij = 
 −Ey −Bz
 (2)
0 Bx 
−Ez By −Bx 0
We can use the usual tensor transformation rules to see how the electric
and magnetic fields transform under a Lorentz transformation. We get

∂x0i ∂x0j kl
F 0ij = F (3)
∂xk ∂xl
= Λi k Λjl F kl (4)

where the Lorentz transformation matrix is

 
γ −γβ 0 0
 −γβ γ 0 0 
Λi k = 
 0
 (5)
0 1 0 
0 0 0 1
As we saw when discussing the inertia tensor, we can write this transfor-
mation as a matrix equation
1
 ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD TENSOR: LORENTZ TRANSFORMATIONS 2

F 0 = ΛF ΛT (6)
The first product is
 
γβEx γEx γEy − γβBz γEz + γβBy
 −γEx −γβEx −γβEy + γBz −γβEz − γBy 
ΛF = 
 −Ey
 (7)
−Bz 0 Bx 
−Ez By −Bx 0
The final product is
 
γ 2 1 − β 2 Ex γEy − γβBz


0
γEz + γβBy
−γ 2 1 − β2 E −γβE −γβE
0 + γB z − γBy
F 0 = ΛF ΛT =  x y z
 

 −γEy + γβBz γβEy − γBz 0 Bx 
−γEz − γβBy γβEz + γBy −Bx 0
(8)
p
Using γ = 1/ 1 − β 2 we get
 
0 Ex γEy − γβBz γEz + γβBy
−Ex 0 −γβEy + γBz −γβEz − γBy 
F0 = 


 −γEy + γβBz γβEy − γBz 0 Bx 
−γEz − γβBy γβEz + γBy −Bx 0
(9)
From this, we see that

Ex0 = Ex (10)
Ey0 = γEy − γβBz (11)
Ez0 = γEz + γβBy (12)
Bx0 = Bx (13)
By0 = γβEz + γBy (14)
Bz0 = −γβEy + γBz (15)
Unlike lengths, the components of E and B in the direction of motion
are unchanged, while those perpendicular to the motion are altered.

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