Module Identifier PHM2510  
Module Title ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY  
Academic Year 2001/2002  
Co-ordinator Dr Eleri Pryse  
Semester Semester 1  
Other staff Dr Xing Li  
Pre-Requisite Successful Completion of Year 3 of the MPhys Scheme  
Course delivery Lecture   20 lectures  
Assessment Exam   3 Hours End of semester examinations.   100%  

Module description


This module develops Maxwell's equations and their application to electromagnetic waves. The full theory of transmission, reflection, dispersion and absorption of electromagnetic waves is developed for free-space, conductors and dielectrics. The concept of retarded potential is applied to normal radiation from antennas and to synchrotron radiation from relativistic electrons. The scattering of electromagnetic waves by electrons is discussed.

Learning outcomes


After taking this module students should be able to:

Outline syllabus


Electromagnetic Waves: Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves in free space, energy and Poynting vector, dispersion, absorption of plane waves in conductors, skin effect, reflection and transmission, dielectric and conducting boudaries.


Waveguides: Propagation between conducting plates, rectangular waveguides, cavities.


Generation of electromagnetic waves: Retarded potentials, Hertzian dipole, antennas, scattering.


Electromagnetism and Special Relativity: Charges and fields, Four-vectors, Maxwell's equations.

Reading Lists

Books
I S Grant and W R Phillips. Electromagnetism,. 2nd. ISBN 0-471-92712-0