Self-dual electromagnetic fields

Abstract

We demonstrate the utility of self-dual fields in electrodynamics. Stable configurations of free electromagnetic fields can be represented as superpositions of standing waves, each possessing zero Poynting vector and zero orbital angular momentum. The standing waves are themselves superpositions of self-dual and anti-self-dual solutions. The idea of self-duality provides additional insights into the geometrical and spectral properties of stable electromagnetic configurations, such as those responsible for the formation of ball lightning.