Four-force (4-force) is a four-vector, considered as
a relativistic generalization of classical 3-vector of force to the four-dimensional
spacetime. As in classical mechanics, the 4-force can be defined in two ways.
The first one measures the change in energy and momentum of a particle per unit
of proper time. In the
second method, force characteristics are introduced –field strengths – and with
their help, given the known energy and momentum of the particle, the 4-force
acting on the particle in a given field is calculated. The equality of 4-forces produced by these
methods, gives equation of motion of the particle in given force field.
In special relativity 4-force is derivative of 4-momentum
with respect to the proper time
of a particle: [1]
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For a particle with constant invariant mass m > 0,
,
where
is 4-velocity. This allows connecting 4-force
with four-acceleration
similarly to Newton's second law:
,
Given
is the classic 3-vector of particle
velocity;
is Lorentz factor;
,
![]()
where
is 3-vector of force, [2]
is t 3-vector of relativistic
momentum,
is 3-acceleration,
,
is relativistic energy.
In general relativity, the 4-force is determined by
covariant derivative of 4-momentum with respect to the proper time: [3]
,
where
are the Christoffel symbols.
4-force acting in electromagnetic field on a particle with electric charge
, is expressed as follows:
,
where
is electromagnetic tensor,
|
|
is 4-velocity.
To describe liquid
and extended media, in which we must find forces in different points in space,
instead of 4-vector of force 4-vector of force density is used, acting locally
on a small volume unit of the medium:
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where
is the mass
4-current,
is the mass density in the rest reference
frame relative to the matter.
In the special theory of
relativity, the relations hold:
,
,
where
is 3-vector of force density,
is 3-vector of mass current,
is density of
relativistic energy.
If we integrate (2) over the
invariant volume of the matter unit, measured in the co-moving reference frame,
we obtain the expression for 4-force (1):
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This formula and determination
of the four-force density through the mass four-current
when taking into account the
fields acting in a system, require correction, since they do not contain an
additional contribution from the four-momenta of the fields themselves. As was
shown in the article, [4] instead of the four-force
density (2) in a continuously distributed substance, one should consider the
expression for generalized four-force density:
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where
is Lagrangian,
are four-dimensional
coordinates,
is density of generalized four-momentum.
If we take into account four
vector fields in substance, such as electromagnetic and gravitational fields,
acceleration field and pressure field, then the density of the generalized
four-momentum will be equal to: [5]
![]()
where
are 4-potentials of the electromagnetic
and gravitational fields, acceleration field and pressure field, respectively.
If s particle is
in gravitational field, then according to the covariant theory of gravitation (CTG) gravitational 4-force equals:
,
where
is gravitational
tensor, which is expressed through the gravitational
field strength and gravitational torsion
field,
is 4-momentum with lower (covariant) index,
and particle mass
includes contributions from mass-energy of
fields associated with matter of the particle.
In CTG gravitational tensor with covariant indices
is determined directly, and for transition to
the tensor with contravariant indices in the usual way the metric tensor is
used which is in general a function of time and coordinates:
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Therefore the 4-force
, which depends on
the metric tensor through
, also becomes a
function of the metric. At the same time, definition of 4-force with covariant
index does not require knowledge of the metric:
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In covariant theory of gravitation
4-vector of force density is described with the help of acceleration field
: [6] [7] [8]
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where
is acceleration
stress-energy tensor with mixed indices,
is acceleration
tensor, and
the 4-potential of acceleration field is expressed in terms of the scalar
potential
and the vector
potential
:
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In expression (3) operator of proper-time-derivative
is used, which generalizes material derivative (substantial derivative) to curved
spacetime. [2]
If there are only gravitational and
electromagnetic forces and pressure force, then the following expression is
valid for the 4-force density: [9] [10]
![]()
where
is 4-vector of electromagnetic
current density (4-current),
is density of electric charge of
matter unit in its rest reference frame,
is pressure
field tensor,
is gravitational stress-energy tensor,
is t electromagnetic stress-energy tensor,
is pressure
stress-energy tensor,
is
the invariant mass density,
and
denote
the 4-velocity and 4-acceleration of matter unit.
In some cases, instead of the mass
4-current the quantity
is used, where
is density of
moving matter in an arbitrary reference frame. The quantity
is not a
4-vector, since the mass density is not an invariant quantity in coordinate
transformations. After integrating over the moving volume of matter unit due to
relations
and
we obtain:
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For inertial reference systems in
the last expression we can bring
beyond the
integral sign. This gives 4-force for these frames of reference:
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However, in addition to the
momentum of particles, moving matter also has momentum of field associated with
matter, which requires a more general definition of four-momentum and
four-force.
In general relativity, it is
believed that stress-energy tensor of matter is determined by the expression
, and for it
,
that is the quantity
consists of four timelike components of this tensor. The integral of
these components over the moving volume gives respectively the energy (up to
the constant, equal to
) and momentum of matter unit. However, such a
solution is valid only in approximation of inertial motion, as shown above. In
addition, according to findings in the article, [11] the integration of timelike components of
stress-energy tensor for energy and momentum of a system in general is not true
and leads to paradoxes such as the problem of 4/3 for gravitational and
electromagnetic fields.
Instead of it, in
covariant theory of gravitation 4-momentum containing the energy and momentum of a system is derived by variation of Lagrangian of
the system and not from the stress-energy tensors.
[12]
Expression (4) for 4-force density can
be divided into two parts, one of which will describe the bulk density of
energy capacity, and the other describe total force density of available
fields.
In relation (4) we make a
transformation:
where
denotes interval,
is differential of coordinate
time,
is mass density of moving matter,
four-dimensional quantity
consists of the timelike
component equal to the speed of light
, and spatial component in the form of
particle 3-velocity vector
.
Similarly, we write the charge 4-current
through charge density of moving matter
:
In addition, we express the tensors
through their components, that is, the corresponding 3-vectors of the field
strengths. Then the timelike
component of 4-force density with covariant index is:
where
is gravitational
field strength,
is electromagnetic field
strength,
is pressure field strength.
The spatial component of covariant
4-force is 3-vector
, i.e. 4-force is
as ![]()
wherein the 3-force density is:
where
is gravitational
torsion field,
is magnetic field,
is solenoidal vector of pressure field.
Expression for covariant density of 4-force can be written in terms of the
components of acceleration tensor and covariant 4-acceleration. Similarly to
(3) we have:
![]()
where
is acceleration field
strength,
is acceleration solenoidal
vector.
Using expression for the 4-potential of
accelerations field in terms of scalar potential and vector potential and
definition of material derivative, from (3) and (4) for scalar and vector
components of equation of motion, we obtain the following:
![]()
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Here
are the components
of vector potential
of acceleration
field,
are the
components of velocity
of the element of
matter or particle.
Equations of matter’s motion (5) and
(6) are obtained in a covariant form and are valid in curved spacetime. On the
left-hand side of these equations there are either potentials or strength and
solenoidal vector of acceleration field. The right-hand side of the equations
of motion is expressed in terms of strengths and solenoidal vectors of
gravitational and electromagnetic fields, as well as pressure field inside the
matter. Before solving these equations of motion, first it is convenient to
find the potentials of all the fields with the help of corresponding wave
equations. Next, taking four-curl of the fields’ four-potentials we can
determine the strengths and the solenoidal vectors of all the fields. After
substituting them in (5) and (6), it becomes possible to find relation between
the field coefficients, express the acceleration field coefficient, and thus
completely determine this field in matter.
Relationship with four-acceleration
Peculiarity of equations of motion (5)
and (6) is that they do not have a direct relationship with the four-acceleration
of matter particle under consideration. However, the equation for
the 4-acceleration of a particle follows from (4):
![]()
After multiplying by the particle’s
mass, this equation will correspond to equation (1) for the four-force.
For a point particle, the four-acceleration with a covariant index can be
expressed in terms of strength and solenoidal vector of acceleration field:
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In special relativity
and substituting
the vectors
and
for a particle,
for the covariant 4-acceleration we obtain the standard expression:
![]()
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If the mass
of the particle
is constant, then for force acting on the particle, we can write:
![]()
where
is relativistic
energy,
is 3-vector of
relativistic momentum of the particle.
For a body with a continuous
distribution of matter vectors
and
are substantially
different from the corresponding instantaneous vectors of specific particles in
the vicinity of observation point. The vectors
and
represent the
averaged value of 4-acceleration inside the bodies. In particular, within the
bodies there is a 4-acceleration generated by various forces in matter. The
typical examples are relativistic uniform system
and space bodies, where the major forces are the force of gravity and internal
pressure generally oppositely directed. Upon rotation of the bodies the 4-force
density, 4-acceleration, vectors
and
are functions not
only of radius, but the distance from the axis of rotation to the point of
observation.
In the general case for extended bodies
the four-acceleration at each point of a body becomes a certain function of
coordinates and time. As a characteristic of physical system’s motion we can
choose four-acceleration of the center of momentum, for evaluation of which it
is necessary to integrate the force density over volume of entire matter and
divide the total force by inertial mass of the system. Another method involves
evaluation of four-acceleration through the strength and the solenoidal vector
of acceleration field at the center of momentum in approximation of special
theory of relativity, as was shown above.
Source: http://sergf.ru/ffen.htm