dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaFermat's principle of least time in the presence of uniformly moving boundaries and media
| Authors | Aleksandar Gjurchinovski, Aleksandar Skeparovski |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0702100 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0702100 |
| DOI | 10.1088/0143-0807/28/5/017 |
| Journal | Eur. J. Phys. 28, 933-951 (2007) |
Abstract
The refraction of a light ray by a homogeneous, isotropic and non-dispersive transparent material half-space in uniform rectilinear motion is investigated theoretically. The approach is an amalgamation of the original Fermat's principle and the fact that an isotropic optical medium at rest becomes optically anisotropic in a frame where the medium is moving at a constant velocity. Two cases of motion are considered: a) the material half-space is moving parallel to the interface; b) the material half-space is moving perpendicular to the interface. In each case, a detailed analysis of the obtained refraction formula is provided, and in the latter case, an intriguing backward refraction of light is noticed and thoroughly discussed. The results confirm the validity of Fermat's principle when the optical media and the boundaries between them are moving at relativistic speeds.
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"abstract": "The refraction of a light ray by a homogeneous, isotropic and non-dispersive\ntransparent material half-space in uniform rectilinear motion is investigated\ntheoretically. The approach is an amalgamation of the original Fermat\u0027s\nprinciple and the fact that an isotropic optical medium at rest becomes\noptically anisotropic in a frame where the medium is moving at a constant\nvelocity. Two cases of motion are considered: a) the material half-space is\nmoving parallel to the interface; b) the material half-space is moving\nperpendicular to the interface. In each case, a detailed analysis of the\nobtained refraction formula is provided, and in the latter case, an intriguing\nbackward refraction of light is noticed and thoroughly discussed. The results\nconfirm the validity of Fermat\u0027s principle when the optical media and the\nboundaries between them are moving at relativistic speeds.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0702100",
"authors": [
"Aleksandar Gjurchinovski",
"Aleksandar Skeparovski"
],
"categories": [
"physics.optics",
"physics.class-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1088/0143-0807/28/5/017",
"journal_ref": "Eur. J. Phys. 28, 933-951 (2007)",
"title": "Fermat\u0027s principle of least time in the presence of uniformly moving boundaries and media",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0702100"
},
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