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I'm looking for a derivation of the often quoted fact that the conservation of electric(!) current $j^{\mu} = (c \rho, \vec{j})$ in relativistic classical electrodynamics is an explicit consequence of Noether theorem. In other words that that the electric current $j^{\mu}$ is a Noether current with respect gauge transformation $A_{\mu} \to A_{\mu} + \delta A_{\mu}= A_{\mu} + \partial_{\mu} \chi$ where $\chi$ is any twice differentiable scalar function that depends on position and time.

Recall from classical Electrodynamics $S = \int_V \mathcal{L} dV dt$ with Lagrangian

$$\mathcal{L} := -\frac{1}{c} A_{\mu} j^{\mu} -\frac{1}{16 \pi}F^{\mu \nu} F_{\mu \nu}$$

with field tensor $F_{\mu \nu} = \partial_{\mu} A_{\nu}- \partial_{\nu} A_{\mu}$ and in context of variational calculus of action functional $S$ the conserved function, also called Noether current for action $\phi \to \phi + \delta \phi$ on Lagrangian $\mathcal{L}(\phi, \dot{\phi}, t)$ is defined by

$$J^{\mu} := \frac{\partial \mathcal{L}}{\partial \dot{\phi}} \delta \phi$$

Now I not see why in context of relativistic classical electrodynamics and gauge transformation of the $4$-potential $A_{\mu}$ (that is $\phi := A_{\mu}$ and $\delta \phi = \partial_{\mu} \chi$ the obtained Noether current $J^{\mu} $ coinsides exactly with classical electric current $j^{\mu} = (c \rho, \vec{j})$?

Does anybody know where I can find a derivation of that?

My attempts:

By equation of motion and definition Maxwell-Lagrangian we have $\frac{\partial F^{\mu \nu} F_{\mu \nu}}{\partial \dot{A_{\mu}}}= -4 F^{\mu \nu}$, so $\frac{\partial \mathcal{L}}{\partial \dot{A_{\mu}}}= \frac{1}{4 \pi}F^{\mu \nu}$ and $\delta A_{\mu}= \partial_{\mu} \chi$. Why does it imply $J^{\mu} = (c \rho, \vec{j})$. I not see it. Although I found in PSE some questions dealing which similar problem I nowhere found a source containing a full complete derivation of the claim, but on the other hand incountable many sources using this a fact.

Qmechanic
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user267839
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1 Answers1

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The problem is that the Lagrangian for Electromagnetism is only gauge invariant for zero currents. With currents the Lagrangian is not invariant. The reason is that the gauge transformations actually changes the current since it comes from other fields like the spinor field in QED so that the transformation of the matter fields requires the Gauge field $A_\mu$ to mantain the general Lagrangian invariant, this transformation for that Lagrangian indeed gives the conservation of current.