Resumen

SPAVIERI, G.; ERAZO, J.; SANCHEZ, A.  y  RODRIGUEZ, M.. Momento electromagnético, efectos cuánticos y la masa del fotón. Rev. mex. fis. [online]. 2009, vol.55, n.4, pp.236-248. ISSN 0035-001X.

We review the role of the momentum of the electromagnetic (EM) fields P_e in several areas of modern physics, revising the most recent achievements and its relationship with P_e. The moment P_e represents the EM interaction in equations for matter and light waves propagation. As an application of wave propagation properties, a first order optical experiment which tests the speed of light in moving rarefied gases is presented. Moreover, P_e is the link to the unitary vision of the quantum effects of the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) type and, for several of these effects, the explicit expression of P_e is evaluated. Finally, these effects provide a quantum approach to evaluate the limit of the photon mass m_ph. A new effect of the AB type, together with the scalar AB effect, provides the basis for table-top experiments which yield the limit m_ph ~ 9.4 x 10^-52 g, a value that improves the results achieved with recent classical and quantum approaches.

Palabras llave : Electromagnetic momentum; Aharonov-Bohm effect; magnetic model of light; photon mass.