Comments on the Classical Theory of Magnetic Monopoles

Abstract

The classical theory of electromagnetism including magnetic monopoles is formulated in terms of harmonic functions. The fact that there is no consistent action-integral formulation of the field that yields both particle and field equations for both electric and magnetic charges is discussed in detail. It is seen that a consistent formulation can be developed through an action integral, but, in such a development, a monopole does not have what has been considered to be an appropriate interaction with either an electric charge or another monopole.

The contribution of magnetic monopoles to the ponderomotive force

“…Although, in principle, the existence of magnetic monopoles should have a quantum origin, and the exisistence of magnetic monopoles in sufficient density to form a plasma is yet to be proved, we can still study them at classical level under the appropriate approximations. This is because if magnetic charges exist at the quantum realm, it should be possible to prove their effects in some classical limit [35]. Under this premise, classical descriptions for equations of motion and action principles have been proposed and studied for magnetic monopoles [2,[35][36][37], as well as the classical motion of electric charges in the field produced by a magnetic monopole charge [3,38,39].…”

“…This is because if magnetic charges exist at the quantum realm, it should be possible to prove their effects in some classical limit [35]. Under this premise, classical descriptions for equations of motion and action principles have been proposed and studied for magnetic monopoles [2,[35][36][37], as well as the classical motion of electric charges in the field produced by a magnetic monopole charge [3,38,39].…”

Comments on the classical theory of magnetic monopoles

“…Introduction. There have been several attempts at constructing a classical theory of electrodynamics in the presence of both electric and magnetic charge (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). The result of most of this previous work is that a satisfactory action principle, giving both field and particle equations, does not exist.…”