On conformal Killing 2-form of the electromagnetic field

Abstract

Let D: C ∞ Λ p M→ C ∞( T * M⊗ Λ p M) be the first order linear differential operator on an n-dimensional (1≤ p≤ n−1) pseudo-Riemannian manifold ( M, g). We have by the representation theory of orthogonal group, that the tangent bundle of this operation decomposes into the orthogonal and irreducible sum of forms of degree p+1 (which gives the exterior differential d), the forms of degree p−1 (defining the codifferential d *) and the trace-free part of the partial symmetrization (the corresponding first order operator is denoted by D). The general forms in the kernel of D are closely related to conformal Killing vector fields, called conformal Killing p-forms, while those in kernel of d are called closed conformal Killing p-forms or, according to another terminology, planar p-forms. In particular an arbitrary planar 1-form ω is dual (by g) to the special concircular vector field ξ. We consider some local properties for the closed conformal Killing p-forms. As an application we present examples of decomposition into irreducible components for the electromagnetic field 2-form ω and its covariant derivative in four-dimensional space–time. In particular, we prove that the energy–momentum tensor T of the electromagnetic field is a symmetric conformal Killing tensor if the electromagnetic field 2-form ω is a conformal Killing form.