Over 100 years ago Abraham and Minkowski proposed rival forms for the momentum of light in a medium.

Abraham states that the momentum in the medium is the free-space momentum divided by the refractive index, but Minkowski would have it that the momentum is the free-space value multiplied by the refractive index.

There are very simple physical arguments in favour of both of these and the issue has been hotly debated ever since, with numerous theoretical and experimental studies supporting one momentum or the other.

I’ll present evidence supporting both momenta and explain the resolution of this: both are correct!

Im Rahmen des Fest-Physikkolloquiums zur Verabschiedung von Prof. Gernot Alber am 12.07.2024 werden noch weitere interessante Sprecher vortragen.

09:00 Uhr: "Titel wird noch bekannt gegeben", Prof. Igor Jex, Czech Technical University in Prague; 10:00 Uhr: "Massive Photons and the Hypothetical X17 Particle", Prof. Sandor Varro, ELI-ALPS Szeged; 11:00 Uhr: "Second Born electrons, and rescue at sea", Prof. Ravi Rau, Louisiana State University; 15:30 Uhr: “On the interface of number theory and quantum mechanics”, Prof. Wolfgang Schleich, Universität Ulm