Lecture 12

Maxwells Equations and Electromagnetic Waves

Maxwells Equations - Waves DAlembert
equation - Electromagnetic Waves The e.m.

spectrum -Energy of Electromagnetic Waves Poynting vector - Refractive index - Spherical

waves - Electromagnetic Radiation as Particles

Lecture 19

MAXWELLs EQUATIONS

E
0

B 0

B
E
t

E
B 0 j 0 0
t

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WAVES

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WAVE: a transfer of energy

from one point to another via
a traveling disturbance

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WAVES on a string:
pulses and harmonic wave

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WAVE:1D

WAVE:2D

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3D cylindrical wave

3D spherical wave
Lecture 19

Differential equation of wave

motion (DAlembert):

y
2 y
v
2
2
t
x
2

General solution:

y( x, t ) f ( x vt) y( x, t ) f1 ( x vt) f 2 ( x vt)

Lecture 19

Plane harmonic wave

2
P

E ( x, t ) E0 sen(kx t )
Lecture 19

From Maxwells equations to e.m. waves

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10

From Maxwells equations to e.m. waves

IN VACUUM:
NO charges
NO current
Supposing that E and B are transeverse waves
orthogonal to the x-axis, which is the propagation direction

The y and z derivative are zero!!!!!

Bx
t 0

B y E z

x
t
E y
Bz

x
t
Lecture 19

E
x 0
t

1 Bz
E y

0 0 x
t
E
1 B y
z

0 0 x
t

E 0

B 0

E B

B 0 0 E

d 2 Bz
d 2 Bz
0 0
2
dx
dt 2
d 2 By
d 2 By
0 0
2
dx
dt 2

From Maxwells equations to e.m. waves

d 2 Ez
0 0
2
dx
d 2 Ey
0 0
2
dx

d 2 Ez
dt 2
d 2 Ey

dt 2

d 2 Bz
d 2 Bz
0 0
2
dx
dt 2
d 2 By
d 2 By
0 0
2
dx
dt 2

d E
2
E 0 0
dt 2
2

d B
2
B 0 0 2
dt
2

Both magnetic and electric fields

satisfy DAlembert equation
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12

FIRST IMPORTANT RESULTS:

1.
2.

Ex=Bx=0 that is: e.m. waves are transverse-wave

The e.m. wave propagation velocity in vacuum is constant and given by:

v
3.

1
0 0

0 0

1
v2

1
3 108 m / s
0 0

Ez, Bz , Ey, By components satisfy the wave-equation, and harmonic

solutions can be given by:

E ( x, t ) E0 sin(kx t ) with E0 x-axis, lying in the (y,z) plane

B( x, t ) B0 sin(kx t ) with B0 x-axis, lying in the (y,z) plane

4.

The simple solution for E and B fields propagation in vacuum along x-axis
y
is to have E//y-axis and B//z-axis:

E ( x, t ) E0 y sin(kx t ) with E0 // y axis

B( x, t ) B0 sin(kx t ) with B0 // z axis

Electric
Campo
field
elettrico
x

z
Lecture 19

Magnetic
Campo
field
magnetico

OTHER VERY IMPORTANT RESULTS:

E B 0

B
c

E2
uc
E B
c

Demonstration of

E
c

1. Assuming a plane wave with E//y and B//z:

E E0 y sin( kx t )u y

B B0 z sin( kx t )u z

E y
B
B
E

z
t
x
t

Lecture 19

2. And making the derivatives::

E y
kE0 y cos(kx t )

Bz B cos(kx t )
0z

t
B0 z
kE0 y B0 z E0 y
cB0 z
k
E0 cB0

E.M. WAVES PROPAGATION:

-Polarization
-Rays and wavefronts

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15

e.m. WAVES PROPAGATION

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16

POLARIZATION
Waves can oscillate with more than
one orientation.
Electromagnetic waves, such as
light exhibit polarization; sound waves
in a gas or liquid do not have
polarization because the medium
vibrates only along the direction in
which the waves are travelling.
The shape traced out in a fixed
plane by the electric vector as such a
plane wave passes over it (a
Lissajous figure) is a description of
the polarization state.

Circular
polarization:the electric
field of the passing
wave does not change
strength but only
changes direction in a
rotary manner.
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17

POLARIZING FILTERS

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18

WAVE-FRONT: is composed by all the points where the field has the
same value. A wavefront is the locus of points having the same
phase: a line (or a curve) in 2-D, or a surface in 3-D.
Plane
wave-front

PHASE of THE Harmonic WAVE:

kx t

PLANE WAVE
It propagates along the x axis, the electric field E(x,t)
has to have nul x components: Ex(x,t)=0

E has the same value in a plane that is orthogonal to the

x axis, that is: in the planes // (y,z)

The simplest form of a wavefront is the plane wave, where the

rays are parallel to one another. The light from this type of wave is
referred to as collimated light. The plane wavefront is a good
model for a surface-section of a very large spherical wavefront; for
instance, sunlight strikes the earth with a spherical wavefront that
has a radius of about 150 million kilometers (1 Angstrom). For
many purposes, such a wavefront can be considered planar.
Lecture 19

e.m. WAVES PROPAGATION

The wave velocity propagation in vacuum is: c

0 0

The propagation direction is given by the direction of : E B
Wave front

Lecture 19

RAYS and WAVEFRONTS

HUYGENS PRINCIPLE: any point on a wave front of light may be regarded as the source
of secondary waves and that the surface that is tangent to the secondary waves can be
used to determine the future position of the wave front.
Huygens' principle provides a quick method to predict the propagation of a wavefront: for
example, a spherical wavefront will remain spherical as the energy of the wave is carried
away equally in all directions. Such directions of energy flow, which are always
perpendicular to the wavefront, are called rays creating multiple wavefronts.
Lecture 19

E.M. WAVES GENERATION

Lecture 19

22

Electromagnetic Waves generation

Electric and magnetic fields are coupled through Ampres and
Faradays laws
Once created they can continue to propagate without further input
Only accelerating charges will create electromagnetic waves

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23

Electromagnetic Waves generation

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24

Electromagnetic Waves
With the changing current restricted to a line, the fields
propagate with cylindrical symmetry outward from the current line.
The electric field is aligned parallel to the current and the
magnetic filed is aligned perpendicular to both the electric field
and to the direction of propagation. These are general features
of electromagnetic waves.
The current must change in time if it is to give rise to propagating
fields (as a steady current merely produces a static magnetic
field). We can translate this into a statement about the charges
whose flow gives rise to the current: The charges that give rise
to the propagating electric and magnetic fields must be
accelerating. Harmonically varying currents will give rise to
harmonically varying electric and magnetic fields.

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25

THE
ELECTROMAGNETIC

SPECTRUM:

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26

ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES ARE REAL

Images taken of the Whirlpool galaxy recordiung radiation in

different frequency ranges (and a s consequensce different details
are revealed)

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27

Lecture 19

28

The refractive index

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29

Electromagnetic Waves in a medium

Electromagnetic waves travel more slowly through a
medium by a factor n:

This defines n, the index of refraction.

Except for ferromagnets, the speed can be written:

Or, using r instead of k:

1
c
v
v
0 0 r
r
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n r
30

Energy and Poynting vector

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31

Energy and Poynting vector

The energy in an electromagnetic wave must be shared equally
between the electric and magnetic fields:

This energy is transported by the wave; u is the energy density

[J/m3]; it varies with time because E and B fields depend on time, so
we consider a mean value
The Energy flux is given by the energy/(unit area * unit time):
Energy flux = cu
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32

Energy and Poynting vector

More precisely, the energy flowing through a given surface can be
expressed as the flux through the same surface of the vector:

This vector is called the Poynting vector.

1
1 2
wE 0 E 2 ; wB
B
2
20
wem 0 E 2
energy through S in t :

0 E 2 cSt

power through S : 0 E 2 cS
Poynting vector :

2
2
2
S 0 E c 0 E cuc 0 c E B
Lecture 19

Energy and Poynting vector

E ( x, t ) E0 cos(kx t )
B( x, t ) B0 cos(kx t )

S ( x, t ) 0 cE cos (kx t )

the average value of S will be :

2
0

S mean

1
0 cE02 I
2

J
m 2s

The direction of the Poynting vector is the

direction in which the energy flow propagates
The module of the Poynting vector represents
the energy per unit time per unit area (assuming
a surface orthogonal to the propagation direction)
The flux of the Poynting vector through a
surface gives the power through the surface
The average value of the Poynting vector is the
intensity of the wave
An electromagnetic wave also carries
momentum, and can exert pressure (called
radiation pressure) on objects

Lecture 19

SPHERICAL WAVES

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35

SPHERICAL WAVES

1
J
0 cE02 I
m 2s
2

1
Power 0cE02 (r ) 4r 2
2

The power has to be constant, for each value of the radius r, because the radiation
emitted must pass through any sphere that surrounds the source
The value of the amplitudes E0(r) and B0(r) will be E0/r, B0/r (they decrease as 1/r)
Lecture 19

Electromagnetic Radiation as
Particles

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37

Black body radiation

In physics, a black body is an object
that absorbs all electromagnetic
radiation that falls onto it. No radiation
passes through it and none is reflected.
Despite the name, black bodies are not
actually black as they radiate energy as
well, since every object with non-zero
temperature radiates electromagnetic
waves, due to the motion of electrons
and protons. How much electromagnetic
radiation they give off just depends on
their temperature.
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38

Ultraviolet disaster

Prediction of classical mechanics

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Black body radiation 1900

Plancks crazy idea: the energy can not be divided into smaller and smaller amounts. It is
emitted in discrete packet, called quantum (Nobel Prize 1918)

E hv
Energy=Plank constant times frequency

h=6.6310-34Js

Electromagnetic radiation is not only a kind of wave,

but also a kind of particle: wave-particle duality 40

Lecture 19

Electromagnetic Radiation as
Particles
Electromagnetic radiation can act as though it is
made of individual particles, called photons.
The energy of each individual photon depends on
the frequency of the radiation:

with
The photon also has
momentum:
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DIPOLE RADIATION

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42

DIPOLE RADIATION

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DIPOLE RADIATION

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DIPOLE RADIATION: angular distribution

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Summary
Using Maxwells equations to find an
equation for the electric field:

This is a wave equation, with solution:

And propagation speed:

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Summary
This is the speed of light, c!

The magnetic field obeys the same wave equation.

The amplitude of the magnetic field is related to the
amplitude of the electric field:

Also, the two fields are everywhere orthogonal:

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47

Summary
Electromagnetic waves are transverse the E
and B fields are perpendicular to the direction of
propagation
The E and B fields are in phase

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Summary
In the absence of free charges, electric and
magnetic fields obey a wave equation:

These waves propagate at the speed

of light:

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Summary
The waves:
Vary sinusoidally
Are transverse
Have related electric and magnetic field
intensities: E = cB
Have perpendicular electric and magnetic
fields
Carry energy and momentum
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