Syllabus
Textbook: David J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd ed.
I. Electrostatics
• electric field
• continuous charge distribution
• the divergence of electric field
• Gauss’ law in differential form
• the Dirac delta function
2. Electric Potential
• the curl of electric field and electric potential
• Poisson’s equation and Laplace’s equation
• potential of continuous charge distribution
• electrostatic energy
• electrostatic boundary conditions for field and potential
• conductors
3. Special Techniques
• the uniqueness theorem
• solving the Laplace equation; boundary value problems
• the method of images
• multipole expansions of the electric potential
• electric dipoles; torques and forces on electric dipoles
4. Electric Fields in Matter
• polarization
• the potential of a polarized object
• bound volume and surface charges
• linear dielectrics
• the field inside a dielectric
• the electric displacement
• Gauss’ law in the presence of dielectrics
• boundary conditions and boundary value problems
• energy in dielectric systems
II. Magnetostatics
1. The Magnetostatic Field
• the magnetic force
• motion of charged particles in magnetic and electric fields
• Biot-Savart law
• Ampère’s law
• magnetic vector potential
• multipole expansions of the magnetic field
• magnetic dipoles; torques and forces on magnetic dipoles
2. Magnetic Fields in Matter
• paramagnetism, diamagnetism, and ferromagnetism
• bound volume and surface currents
• the auxiliary field
• magnetic susceptibility and permeability
• Ampère’s law and boundary condition with magnetic materials
III. Electrodynamics
1. Electromagnetic Induction
• motional emf
• Faraday’s law
• Lenz’s law
• inductance
• energy in magnetic fields
2. Maxwell’s Equations and Electromagnetic Waves
• the Ampère-Maxwell law
• electromagnetic wave equation
• solutions to the wave equation
• complex representation of monochromatic plane waves
• polarization
• energy and momentum transport by electromagnetic waves
• Poynting vector
3. Electromagnetic Waves in Media
• propagation through non-conducting media
• transmission and reflection at boundaries
• laws of geometric optics; Fresnel’s equations
• propagation through conducting media, skin depth
• propagation through plasmas; plasma frequency
• dispersion in dielectrics
• absorption coefficient and index of refraction
IV. Generation of Electromagnetic Radiation
1. Dipole Radiation
• retarted potentials
• electric and magnetic dipole radiation
• the Larmor formula
2. Radiation from a Point Charge
• Lienard-Wiechert potentials
• the fields of a point charge in motion
• power radiated by an accelerating point charge