Electrodynamics

Maxwell’s equations

Maxwell’s equations are:

(SI units)   (Gaussian units)
 
 
or, in macroscopic form:    
 
 
In lih materials with

we have:
   
 
 

Maxwell’s equations are linear equations and the principle of superposition holds.

,

(SI units)   (Gaussian units)
 

Energy and momentum in electrodynamics

Poynting’s theorem,     is a statement of energy conservation.

(SI units),   (Gaussian units)

is the energy density and

(SI units),                     (Gaussian units)

is the energy flux in the electromagnetic field.  We define the momentum density as

(in SI and Gaussian units).

The Lorentz gauge

If in electrodynamics we choose the Lorentz gauge defined through

(SI units)   (Gaussian units)
 
then f and each Cartesian component of A
satisfy the inhomogeneous wave equation
   
 
 
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Image1277.gif (1269 bytes)    

Choosing     is called choosing the Coulomb gauge.