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Covariant gauge; free electromagnetic field; Casimir effect

The trace identity associated with the scale transformation x^Μ → x′^Μ = e^-ρx^Μ on the Lagrangian density for the noninteracting electromagnetic field in the co-variant gauge is shown to be violated on a single plate on which the Dirichlet boundary conditionA^Μ(t, x¹, x², x³ = -a) = 0 is imposed. It is however respected in free space, i.e. in the absence of the plate. These results reinforce our assertions in an earlier paper where the same exercise was carried out using the Lagrangian density for the free, massive, real scalar field in 2 + 1 dimensions.

S G Kamath¹

1. Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai - 600 036, India

Published

February 2006

Manuscript received

11 July 2005

Manuscript revised

10 October 2005

Accepted

18 November 2005