Analogies between the torque-free motion of a rigid body about a fixed point and light propagation in anisotropic media

Abstract

An apparently unnoticed analogy between the torque-free motion of a rotating rigid body about a fixed point and the propagation of light in anisotropic media is stated. First, a new plane construction for visualizing this torque-free motion is proposed. This method uses an intrinsic representation alternative to angular momentum and independent of the modulus of angular velocity \U0001d6da. The equivalence between this plane construction and the well-known Poinsot's three-dimensional graphical procedure is also shown. From this equivalence, analogies have been found between the general plane wave equation (relation of dispersion) in anisotropic media and basic equations of torque-free motion of a rigid body about a fixed point. These analogies allow reciprocal transfer of results between optics and mechanics and, as an example, reinterpretation of the internal conical refraction phenomenon in biaxial media is carried out. This paper is intended as an interdisciplinary application of analogies for students and teachers in the context of intermediate physics courses at university level.