Basic course on theoretical physics 3. Electrodynamics (Q5917548)

The book (seventh edition, for the review of the 6th edition see Zbl 0984.78001) evolved out of lectures that the author has given for students at various universities. The textbook is the third volume in the well-known series of seven books covering first of all the university level course of physics. Former editions (first - fifth) have been published by the publishers Zimmermann-Neufang and Vieweg. The new updated two colored edition by the Springer Verlag supports the clarity. The author prefers the inductive approach of the presentation, i.e., he starts with some fundamental experiments to establish Maxwell's equations. Each Chapter contains exercises which help the reader to understand the theory. The solutions of the exercises and hints to get the results are given in an appendix of the book. Additionally, the student preparing for an exam is assisted by a large number of control questions given at the end of each Chapter. The first Chapter contains short introductions to the Dirac function, Taylor series, surface integrals, and essential parts of the vector analysis required in this book. The theorems of Gauss, Stokes and Green are formulated. Readers who need a repetition of the vector algebra are referred to Chapter 1 of the first volume (which is about classical mechanics) of the series. Continuative parts of mathematics are derived where directly needed. The explicit description of the theory starts in Chapter 2. Starting from some fundamental terms Coulombs law, units of measurements (the Gaussian system (cgs-system) and the SI-system (MKSA-system)), and the differential and integral representation of Maxwell's equations of the electrostatics are formulated. Poisson's equation, the Laplace equation and corresponding boundary value problems are deduced. The behavior of the electric fields at interfaces is treated. Other topics of this Chapter are applications of the theory to capacitors, dipols and quadrupoles, and the multipole extension. At the end of the Chapter Maxwell's equations, first developed for the vacuum, are extended to dielectric matter. \smallskip Chapter 3 deals with magnetostatics. The Biot and Savart law, the homogeneous and inhomogeneous Maxwell equations in the magnetostatic case and the magnetic momentum are formulated. Various types of magnetic materials (diamagnetism, paramagnetism, ferromagnetism, ferrimagnetism, antiferromagnetism) are characterized. Chapter 4 treats electrodynamics. Maxwell's equations are extended to the time-dependent case introducing Maxwell's displacement current in Ampere's law. Quasi-stationary situations and the homogeneous and inhomogeneous wave equation are treated. Other topics are dipol and quadrupol radiation and the moving point charges. The Liénard-Wiechert potentials are derived.