[Physics] Do Maxwell’s equations independently impose constraints on the speed of light

electromagnetismmaxwell-equationsspecial-relativityspeed-of-light

My question is about the relations and equations that makes us to impose constraints on the velocity at which electromagnetic waves propagate.

  • Do Maxwell's equations independently impose constraints on the speed of EM waves?

  • Are these equations compatible with the two special relativity principles with no need to consider some constraints?

  • Does exceeding the limitation for speed of light violate the implications of Maxwell's equations?

  • Does considering unequal constant values of velocity of light for different inertial references violate what Maxwell's equations imply?

  • Who imposed such a limitation theoretically at first? What motivated him/her to suppose there is a limitation for the group velocity of electromagnetic waves?

We know Lorentz transformations are constructed on the assumption of constant speed of light in moving frames. What made him consider such an assumption, if Einstein was not the first one to consider the second postulate of special relativity (i.e. The speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion or of the motion of the source of the light)?


Added:

Einstein assumed "constancy of the speed of light for all observers of all moving frames" to derive and use his "Lorentz transformation" like transformation! Then he constructed his special theory of relativity based on two principles which we all heard about. Did I get this right?

Considering the transformation for a moving frame along the $x$ axis for a frame moving at the speed of $v$ you get
$${x_2} = {{{x_1} – {v_1}{t_1}} \over {\sqrt {1 – {{({v \over c})}^2}} }}.$$
This transformation mathematically implies that no frame is allowed to move at a speed higher than $c$. So this assumption puts some constraints on the speed of any moving frame too!

Summing all these up, say:

A) "the maximum speed of light has an upper bound which is called $c$"

B) "nothing travels faster than light"

C) "the speed of light is measured to be the same by all observers"

From those, some questions arise:

  1. Considering the definition of a frame and the observer which could be at a quite arbitrary conditions of velocity and so on, what motivated him to accept such a limitation for the speed of frames? I mean such a precise assumption can't come from nowhere! Particularly when its consequences seems unbelievable!

  2. Why light? How was he so sure that nothing else could be faster than light? Was there any evidence of light being the fastest thing ever exists?

  3. Where does the role of Maxwell's equations rise up in the creation story of this assumption?

Best Answer

  • The speed of EM waves is a consequence of Maxwell equations alone. However, they do not impose constraints individually but as a collective. They let you derive a wave equation which contains the (phase) velocity as a parameter.
  • Electrodynamics (as described by Maxwell's equations) is what we call a covariant theory, i.e. it is in compliance with special relativity. E.g. when you have a static charge density and you switch to a moving frame, there will also be a current density due to the moving charge density. This is exactly the same as in relativistic mechanics where time and position mix in the Lorentz-transform. In fact, the transformation is the same. There is even a ('covariant') way of rewriting Maxwell's equations such that they won't change form under Lorentz-transforms.
  • Historically, electrodynamics was what motivated Einstein to pursue the idea of having the Lorentz-transform govern mechanics as well. Indeed, the original paper in which he proposed special relativity was titled 'Über die Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper' ('On the electrodynamics of moving bodies'). So in a way, no extra work was required on electrodynamics to make it relativity-ready. It was Newtonian mechanics which was flawed and needed to be fixed up by Einstein.
  • It is relatively easy to show that the Lorentz-transform is as it is when you assume that the speed of light is the upper bound on velocity. It is also possible to show that given that there is an upper bound on velocity, it has to be the speed of light, but it's more difficult. I think it's hard to make an accurate statement on the importance of Maxwell's equations here. The impossibility of breaking the speed of light is a consequence of the Lorentz-transform which is motivated from electrodynamics. But it needed the genius of Albert Einstein to realize that you could also apply the Lorentz-transform on mechanics which you have to when you want to make a statement on moving bodies and their velocities.
  • As to the history of the Lorentz transform, I know that it was know before Einstein published his theory of special relativity. (That's why it's Lorentz transform after Hendrik Antoon Lorentz, not Einstein-transform). But people didn't realize that is was the 'true' nature of space and time. Some thought it was an effect due to the motion of the aether, but that has been disproven experimentally by Michaelson & Morely.

Hope that helps a little.