On the Mechanical Interaction of Light With Homogeneous Liquids

Abstract

We investigate one of the consequences of the three competing models describing the mechanical interaction of light with a dielectric medium. According to both the Abraham and Minkowski models the time-averaged force density is zero inside a homogeneous dielectric, whereas the induced-current Lorentz force model predicts a non-zero force density. We argue that the latter force, if exists, could drive a hydrodynamic flow inside a homogeneous fluid. Our numerical experiments show that such flows have distinct spatial patterns and may influence the dynamics of particles in a water-based single-beam optical trap.