Electromagnetic Forces and Fields in a Rotating Reference Frame
P. N. Arendt, Jr.
Mawell's equations and the equations governing charged particle dynamics
are presented for a rotating coordinate system with the global time
coordinate of an observer on the rotational axis. Special care is taken
in defining the relevant entities in these equations. Ambiguities in the
definitions of the electromagnetic fields are pointed out, and in fact
are shown to be essential in such a system of coordinates. The Lorentz
force is found to have an extra term in this frame, which has its origins
in relativistic mass. A related term in the energy equation, which allows
inertia to be gained even during strict corotation, suggests ways existing
pulsar magnetosphere models may be modified to match observed "braking
indices" more closely.
STATUS: submitted to Ap.J.
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