Momentum of electromagnetic fields, speed of light in moving media, and the photon mass

Abstract

In both the equations for matter and light wave propagation, the momentum of the electromagnetic fields Pe reflects the relevant em interaction. As a review of some applications of wave propagation properties, an optical experiment which tests the speed of light in moving rarefied gases is described. Moreover, Pe is also the link to the unitary vision of the quantum effects of the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) type, which provide a useful quantum approach for the limit of the photon mass mph. A bench-top experiment based on effects of the AB type that exploit new interferometric techniques, is foreseen to yield the limit mph = 10^-54 g, a value that improves upon the results achieved with other approaches.