Light experiences a redshift (blueshift) if it passes through a strong static gravitational field, as demonstrated by Einstein. Owing to gravity-electrostatic analogy, why does light not have the same effect if it passes through a static electric field?
If there is time dilation between locations that are at different electric potentials then there seem to be two possibilities: 1) Time flows slower at more positive potentials. 2) Time flows slower at more negative potentials. Since these possibilities cannot coexist, the positive-negative symmetry in electromagnetism should be broken if there is red shift associated with static electric fields (in addition to any gravitational red shifts).
On a classical electrodynamics - no, will not be...
In vacuum, passing through a static electric field, light should not change at all, while field gradient are not sufficient for the birth an electron - positron couples.
In the transparent substance:
in weak fields there will be a polarization
in the strong - double refraction
So, from the point of view of the Maxwell's theory, any red (blue) shift should not be.
The red/ blue shift only depends on the relative motion of signal resource to the receiver location.
Redshift happens also in weak gravitational fields but passing through the gravitational field is not sufficient. The observer must be in a higher gravitational potential than the light source in order to observe red-shifted light (e.g., in an airplane, looking down). What is in between (for example a gravitational lens) is not important. The redshift can be thought to result from time dilation caused by the difference in gravitational potential. The original question can be reformulated: Is there time dilation between locations that are at different electric potentials?
Good reformulation of a question!
Besides, I do not see the reasons for an affirmative answer if to keep a bounds of a classical electrodynamics.
If there is time dilation between locations that are at different electric potentials then there seem to be two possibilities: 1) Time flows slower at more positive potentials. 2) Time flows slower at more negative potentials. Since these possibilities cannot coexist, the positive-negative symmetry in electromagnetism should be broken if there is red shift associated with static electric fields (in addition to any gravitational red shifts).
Unless the density of one or the other is relatively large (think "double slit experiment"), there is no fundamental basis for assuming such interaction, because in its presence the photon would exhibit a charge, or at least a behavior experimentally attributing charge to the photon. ""I think that only daring speculation can lead us further." - Albert Einstein
The Gravitational Redshift is determined only by curvature of space time and doesn't include any energy variation of photons. Redshift is determined also by the Doppler effect which implies energy variation, but it refers only to relative moving objects.. In a flat space-time a reshift is anyway an energy exchange. That electromagnetic waves may exchange energy with static fields has to be excluded..
Unfortunately gravity is completely different from em. Gravity is a side effect of a curved medium, the space-time, the em fields exist measurable thanks to this medium with the vacuum magnetic and dielectric constants. The similarity between the fields is just formal, the substance is totally different...
No (local) space-time curvature is needed for gravitational redshift.
Proper time variation is the measure of the variation of the local space time curvature. The variation of proper times between the source and observer is at the base of the gravitational Redshift. It is also affirmed by Lev Okun in Gravitation, photons, clocks...
I have suggested an experiment related to the question. Measurements must be done inside the magnetic field and as near as possible to the poles.
http://www.toebi.com/blog/experiments/proof-for-the-mechanism/
The matter-energy warp the space and makes the response slower (time),
this provokes the Redshift/blueshift, which is the different way of perceiveing the same energy packet from different warped space positions.
A constant electric field alters the source and the observer in the same way, so they see exaclty the same energy packet in the same way.
Photons do not Exchange their energies with fields, but only with fermions.
A constant electric field alters the source and the observer in the same way, so they see exactly the same energy packet in the same way.
That's right, therefore the light source should be used outside the field, only measurement should be done inside the field.
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