Conformal inversion and Maxwell field invariants in four- and six-dimensional spacetimes

Conformally compactified (3+1)-dimensional Minkowski spacetime may be identified with the projective light cone in (4+2)-dimensional spacetime. In the latter spacetime the special conformal group acts via rotations and boosts, and conformal inversion acts via reflection in a single coordinate. Hexaspherical coordinates facilitate dimensional reduction of Maxwell electromagnetic field strength tensors to (3+1) from (4 + 2) dimensions. Here we focus on the operation of conformal inversion in different coordinatizations, and write some useful equations. We then write a conformal invariant and a pseudo-invariant in terms of field strengths; the pseudo-invariant in (4+2) dimensions takes a new form. Our results advance the study of general nonlinear conformal-invariant electrodynamics based on nonlinear constitutive equations.

Generalizations of Nonlinear and Supersymmetric Classical Electrodynamics

We first write down a very general description of nonlinear classical electrodynamics, making use of generalized constitutive equations and constitutive tensors. Our approach includes non-Lagrangian as well as Lagrangian theories, allows for electromagnetic fields in the widest possible variety of media (anisotropic, piroelectric, chiral and ferromagnetic), and accommodates the incorporation of nonlocal effects. We formulate electric-magnetic duality in terms of the constitutive tensors. We then propose a supersymmetric version of the general constitutive equations, in a superfield approach.