The gravity of light

arXiv (Cornell University)

Abstract

The gravitational field of an idealized plane-wave solution of the Maxwell equations can be described in closed form. After discussing this particular solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations, the motion of neutral test particles, which are sensitive only to the gravitational background field, is analyzed. This is followed by a corresponding analysis of the dynamics of neutral fields in the particular Einstein-Maxwell background, considering scalars, Majorana spinors and abelian vector fields, respectively.

Authors 1

1. J.W. van Holten corresponding Aachen

   Leiden University · National Institute for Subatomic Physics · University of Applied Sciences Leiden

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University , Leiden NL ;

   Nikhef , Science Park 105 , Amsterdam NL and Lorentz Insitute ,