Questions tagged [classical-electrodynamics]

Classical electrodynamics is the discipline that studies electromagnetic phenomena – such as electric and magnetic fields, radiation, and the dynamics of charged bodies – in classical terms.

When to Use this tag.

covers the classical description of both static and dynamic electromagnetic phenomena. is typically used, as an alternative to , to emphasise that the question focuses on the dynamical aspects of electric and magnetic phenomena, as opposed to and . On the other hand, the tag is used for the quantum-field-theoretic approach to electromagnetism.

Background.

The basic equations of classical electromagnetism are the Maxwell equations, $$ \nabla\cdot\vec E=4\pi\rho$$$$ \nabla\cdot\vec B=0$$$$ \nabla\times\vec E=-\frac{1}{c}\frac{\partial\vec B}{\partial t}$$$$ \nabla\times\vec B=\frac{1}{c}\left(4\pi\vec j+\frac{\partial\vec E}{\partial t}\right) $$ together with the Lorentz force, $$ m\dot{\vec v}=q(\vec E+\vec v\times\vec B) $$

The first set of equations, together with some boundary conditions, determine the electric and magnetic fields uniquely. Furthermore, given the pair $\vec E,\vec B$, the last equation, together with some initial conditions, determines the position and velocity of the point particle uniquely. Thus, the Maxwell equations together with the Lorentz force are enough to describe all electric and magnetic phenomena, and their effect on charged bodies.

As it turns out, classical electromagnetism is in fact Lorentz covariant, although this is not obvious from the formulation above. Introducing the so-called field strength tensor $F_{\mu\nu}$, and the four-velocity $u^\mu$, the equations above can be recast in a manifestly covariant form, to wit, $$ \partial_\mu F^{\mu\nu}=j^\nu,\qquad mu^\mu=qF^{\mu\nu}u_\nu $$

For more details, see .

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Do Maxwell's Equations overdetermine the electric and magnetic fields?

Maxwell's equations specify two vector and two scalar (differential) equations. That implies 8 components in the equations. But between vector fields $\vec{E}=(E_x,E_y,E_z)$ and $\vec{B}=(B_x,B_y,B_z)$, there are only 6 unknowns. So we have 8…
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How does this "simple" electric train work?

In this YouTube video, a dry cell battery, a wound copper wire and a few magnets (see image below) are being used to create what can be described as "train". It looks fascinating but how does this experiment work? Update 8th August 2016: This…
noir1993
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What is the answer to Feynman's Disc Paradox?

[This question is Certified Higgs Free!] Richard Feynman in Lectures on Physics Vol. II Sec. 17-4, "A paradox," describes a problem in electromagnetic induction that did not originate with him, but which has nonetheless become known as "Feynman's…
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The problem of self-force on point charges

Allow me to preface this by stating that I am a high school student interested in physics and self-studying using a variety of resources, both on- and off-line, primarily GSU's HyperPhysics website, Halliday & Resnick's Fundamentals of Physics,…
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Recommended books for advanced undergraduate electrodynamics

What books are recommended for an advanced undergraduate course in electrodynamics?
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Boundary conditions / uniqueness of the propagators / Green's functions

My question(s) concern the interpretation and uniqueness of the propagators / Green's functions for both classical and quantum fields. It is well known that the Green's function for the Laplace equation $$ \Delta_x G(x,x') = \delta^{(3)}(x-x')…
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What are the dimensions, width and length, of a photon?

Everyone is always talking about photon's wavelength. But what about its dimensions? What is length and width of it? And does it even have a point to think about such things? Or those dimensions are non-existent in such cases?
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Why is dipole the simplest source in electrodynamics?

I see this sort of statement in many materials, for example this: The smallest radiating unit is a dipole, an electromagnetic point source. and this: The simplest infinitesimal radiating element, called a Hertzian dipole… However, none of them…
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What is the mechanism by which magnetic fields do work?

I've seen some conflicted answers to this question in texts and on the web, in the case of a dipole, for example. Do magnetic fields do work directly, or is it their induced electric fields that do work?
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Is classical electromagnetism a dead research field?

Is classical electromagnetism a dead research field? Are there any phenomena within classical electromagnetism that we have no explanation for?
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Noether's first theorem and classical proof of electric charge conservation

How to prove conservation of electric charge using Noether's first theorem according to classical (non-quantum) mechanics? I know the proof based on using Klein–Gordon field, but that derivation use quantum mechanics particularly.
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Theoretical penetration limit for evanescent waves

Consider a problem in classical electrodynamics, when a monochromatic beam experiences total internal refraction when traveling from a medium with $n>1$ to a medium with refractive index $1$ - see schematic below. Using Fresnel equations one gets…
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Can two electrons get ever so close as to touch each other?

My friend and I were studying for our EM test when we started to think about what happens to the electric field near an infinite line of charge. $$E = \frac{\lambda}{2\pi\rho\epsilon_{0}}$$ As you get close to the line of charge, it seems like the…
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Does GR provide a maximum electric field limit?

Does GR provide a limit to the maximum electric field? I've gotten conflicting information regarding this, and am quite confused. I will try to quote exactly when possible so as not to confuse things more with my paraphrasing. The author of the…
John
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Can we measure an electromagnetic field?

As far as I can check, the Aharonov-Bohm effect is not -- contrary to what is claimed in the historical paper -- a demonstration that the vector potential $A$ has an intrinsic existence in quantum mechanics, neither that the magnetic field $B$ has…
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