Electromagnetic fields and waves in fractional dimensional space (Q2428181)

The idea of fractional dimensional space is used in many parts of mechanics and physics because of its capability to model real-life problems of complicated structures. In this 70 pages long book the authors present, based on their own publications, a theoretical investigation of classical electromagnetics in the fractional dimensional space. This can be used to model electromagnetic fields and waves, replacing a real anisotropic confining structure by a fractional space with the advantage that the fractal structures can be described by a small number of parameters. The measurement of this confinement is characterized by the fractional dimension that imparts how the fractal fills the Euclidean space in which it lies. Media composed of such objects are considered as non-integer dimensional fractal media and the fractional dimension is one of the mentioned parameters. The electric and magnetic fields are defined on a fractal and do not exist outside in the Euclidean space. The monograph consists of 5 chapters which are divided into sections and subsections and are followed by a short summary and a list of references. A glossary of relevant terms and exercises to improve the skills of the reader are not given. Relating to the fractional dimension space and comparisons to classical electromagnetic results the authors often refer to additional literature for details. The book is recommended to graduate and advanced students as well as professionals in electromagnetics. The introductory Chapter 1 is devoted to the fractional space. The difference between integer dimensional and fractional spaces is demonstrated by simple examples. One of the basic examples of self-similar sets, the Sierpinski triangle, is used to give the user an impression of fractals and how the dimension of fractals (Hausdorff dimension) is defined using logarithms. Unfortunately there are no figures of Sierpinski triangles, which would better illustrate the new concept and show how fractals can fill the Euclidean space. Generally, the reader will find only a small number of remarks on the fractional dimensional space. It is largely assumed that one is familiar with this concept. Otherwise, the interested reader needs additional literature, cited in the references of this chapter. The authors explicitly point out that their work is based upon the axiomatic basis for fractional dimensional spaces in [\textit{F. H. Stillinger}, ``Axiomatic basis for spaces with noninteger dimension'', J. Math. Phys. 18, No. 6, 1224--1234 (1977; Zbl 0359.54023)]. Furthermore it is outlined that one should differentiate between the number of coordinates used to locate a point in the Euclidean space and the dimension of the space. Using the scaling method the dimension of the fractional space is defined by a power law. For details of the corresponding differential geometry of fractional spaces which is related to the dimensional regularization technique the authors refer to [\textit{S. I. Muslih} and \textit{O. P. Agrawal}, ``A scaling method and its applications to problems in fractional dimensional space'', J. Math. Phys. 50, No. 12, Paper No. 123501, 11 p. (2009; Zbl 1372.28008)]. Chapter 2 is focused on the generalization of differential electromagnetic equations (Maxwell's, Laplace's, Poisson's, and Helmholtz's equations) in fractional space. Starting with a formalism for the integration on the \(D\)-dimensional fractional space provided by Stillinger in [loc. cit.], a generalization of the Laplacian operator is shortly described. This fractional Laplacian operator reduces to the classical one in Euclidean space. Using the fractional Laplacian a so-called Del operator \(\nabla_D\) in fractional space is derived. Based on this Del operator the related fractional space vector differential operators gradient, divergence, and curl are formulated which are then used to introduce the generalized Maxwell equations followed by the generalization of the potentials for static and time-varying fields, and of the corresponding Laplace, Poisson, and Helmholtz equations. The established generalization of the differential electromagnetic equations is valid for the far-field region only. All investigated cases reduce to the classical results for the integer dimensional space. This is proved as well as the results of the following chapters. Chapter 3 treats the fractional space generalization of the potentials for the static and time-varying field. The generalized Laplace equation for the electrostatic potential is exactly solved reducing it, by separation of variables, to Bessel's equation whose solution is given as a sum of first and second order Bessel functions. The result is applied to an electrostatic potential inside a rectangular box. Discussing the radiation problem an exact solution of the inhomogeneous vector potential wave equation in the \(D\)-dimensional space is deduced with the help of auxiliary magnetic and electric vector potentials in spherical coordinates. The solution of the resulting Bessel's equation is given as a sum of first and second order Hankel functions. Because of the relevance of the wave equation in many parts of physics, Chapter 4 is devoted to solutions of different forms of the \(D\)-dimensional wave equations. The reader will find the general plane wave solutions of Helmholtz's equation in fractional space for source-free and lossless as well as for source-free and lossy media, including an application, using three parameters to formulate the measure distribution of the space. Each parameter acts only on a single coordinate with the property that the sum of the parameters is equal \(D\). Some parameter constellations are discussed. Cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical coordinates formulations are presented. Chapter 5 is devoted to an antenna radiation problem in fractional space. A procedure for the solution of the radiation problem for the far zone is formulated using auxiliary magnetic and electric vector potential functions. The solution formula of the corresponding vector potential wave equation for the auxiliary functions includes the gamma function and second order Hankel functions. The procedure is applied to the Hertzian dipol in fractional space.