Relativistic Electrodynamics (VS1) (U02587)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : PHY-4-VElDyn

Advanced topics in electromagnetism, including: electromagnetic wave propagation in dielectric and conducting media, reflection and transmission at dielectric boundaries. Lorentz invariance of Maxwell's equations. The Lorentz force. Lorentz transformations of electric and magnetic fields. Scalar and vector potentials and gauge invariance of Maxwell's equations. Covariant formulation of classical electrodynamics. The electromagnetic stress-energy momentum tensor. Radiation from time-dependent charge and current distributions. Radiation from accelerated charges. Synchrotron Radiation.

Entry Requirements

? This course is only available to part year visiting students.

? This course is a variant of the following course : U01407

? Pre-requisites : Year 3 Mathematical Physics, including Tensors & Fields (desirable), or equivalent.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Undergraduate (School of Physics), (School of Physics, Schedule Q)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	14:50	KB
Lecture	Friday	14:00	14:50	KB

? Additional Class Information : Workshop/tutorial sessions, as arranged.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course the student should be able to:

1. understand origin of Maxwell’s equations in magnetic and dielectric media

2. write down Maxwell’s equations in linear, isotropic, homogeneous media

3. derive continuity conditions on electromagnetic fields at boundaries

4. derive electromagnetic wave solutions and propagation in dielectric and other media

5. understand transport of energy and Poynting vector

6. understand transport of momentum, Maxwell stress tensor and radiation pressure

7. show laws of geometric optics originate with Maxwell’s equations at dielectric boundaries

8. calculate reflection and transmission coefficients for waves at dielectric boundaries

9. obtain scalar and vector potential equations in presence of sources

10. understand gauge invariance of Maxwell’s equations, decoupling of scalar and vector potential equations in Lorentz gauge and corresponding solutions

11. solve for retarded potentials and electric and magnetic fields for simple problems involving time-dependent charge-current distributions

12. understand the term radiation zone and derive angular distribution of and power emitted by a dipole

13. write down electromagnetic field tensor in covariant notation

14. derive fully covariant forms of Maxwell equations, Lorentz gauge condition and continuity equation

15. obtain Lorentz transformations for electric and magnetic fields and apply to simple cases

16. show the stress-energy-momentum tensor components are energy density, Poynting vector and Maxwell stress tensor

17. derive Lienard-Wiechert potentials for a moving point charge

18. derive corresponding electric and magnetic fields

19. show that acceleration of the charge gives electromagnetic radiation

20. apply to cases of charges: slowly accelerating at low velocities; undergoing acceleration collinear with velocity, in a circular orbit (synchrotron radiation).