The book starts with a vivid explanation of the mathematical prerequisites (in particular the operations gradient, divergence and curl). Next, are parts on Electrostatics and Magnetostatics where the handling of field equations is practiced in detail.
The book then introduces Maxwell's equations with emphasis on their relativistic structure. The relativistic form of these equations are then exploited for various applications, like waves and radiation phenomena.
For the quasi-static approximation, it is shown that the neglect of the displacement current and the induction term are complementary to each other.
The presentation of electrodynamics in matter follows the modern concept that an external perturbation leads to a response (induced field) of the system. The dielectric function (ratio between the induced and the external field) is thus a response function. The dielectric functions of various materials, such as water and metals, are discussed in detail.
A final part discusses basic elements of optics, including Huygens' principle, interference, diffraction, refraction and reflection.
Contents:
- Tensor Analysis:
- Gradient, Divergence and Curl
- Tensor Fields
- Distributions
- Lorentz Tensors
- Electrostatics:
- Coulomb Law
- Field Equations
- Boundary Value Problems
- Applications
- Legendre Polynomial
- Cylindrically Symmetric Problems
- Spherical Harmonics
- Multipole Expansion
- Magnetostatics:
- Magnetic Field
- Field Equations
- Magnetic Dipole
- Maxwell Equations: Basics:
- Maxwell Equations
- General Solution
- Covariance
- Lagrange Formalism
- Maxwell Equations: Applications:
- Plane Waves
- Cavity Waves
- Transformation of the Fields
- Accelerated Charge
- Dipole Radiation
- Scattering of Light
- Resonant Circuit
- Electrodynamics in Matter:
- Microscopic Maxwell Equations
- Linear Response
- Macroscopic Maxwell Equations
- First Applications
- Dielectric Function
- Permeability Constant
- Wave Solutions
- Dispersion and Absorption
- Elements of Optics:
- Huygens' Principle
- Interference and Diffraction
- Reflection and Refraction
- Geometrical Optics
Readership: Undergraduates in physics and engineering.
Torsten Fliessbach is the Professor for Theoretical Physics, since 1979, at the University of Siegen, Germany. Born in Lauenburg (Pommern, Germany), he obtained his high school diploma (Abitur) at the Altes Realgymnasium in Munich, and his Diploma in Physics (1968) and PhD (1971) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). He was awarded the scholarship of Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (1966–1969) and, from 1971 to 1978, he worked as a research assistant at the Physics Department of TUM. From 1974 to 1975, Fliessbach was offered a research stint at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (CA, USA) under the fellowship, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. In 1977, he was conferred Habilitation at TUM and, from 1978 to 1979, he was offered the Heisenberg fellowship. Prof. Fliessbach is especially known for authoring a series of textbooks in theoretical physics (first editions, in German), spanning the subjects on General Relativity, Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Quantum Mechanics and Statistical Physics.
