Physics 532: Classical
electrodynamics
Course outline
Introduction: Course
overview, electromagnetic units
Foundations of
special relativity: Spacetime intervals,
proper time, the Lorentz
transformation, transformation of
velocities, vectors and tensors in
spacetime, four-velocity and
four-acceleration
Relativistic dynamics:
The principle of least action, momentum
and energy, Lorentz invariance of
phase-space density, particle
collisions, angular momentum
Charges in electromagnetic
fields: Action, Lagrangian, and Hamiltonian, equations of motion, gauge
invariance, motion in constant
uniform electromagnetic fields, motion
in slowly-varying electromagnetic fields,
electromagnetic field tensor
Electromagnetic field
equations: Source-free Maxwell equations, charge and current densities,
action integral for the electromagnetic field, inhomogeneous Maxwell equations, electromagnetic energy, electromagnetic
energy-momentum tensor
Constant electromagnetic
fields: Constant electric fields, electrostatic
energy of charges, electrostatic
multipole moments, a system of
charges in an external electrostatic field,
constant magnetic fields, magnetostatic
multipole moments, a system of
charges in an external magnetostatic field
Electromagnetic waves:
wave equation and electromagnetic plane waves, monochromatic plane waves,
relativistic Doppler effect, spectral
analysis, group velocity
Fields of moving
charges: Field of a uniformly moving charge, retarded potentials, potentials
of a moving charge, electromagnetic
field of a moving charge
Radiation of
electromagnetic waves: Radiation from a slowly-moving charge, dipole radiation, bremsstrahlung, radiation
from a fast-moving charge, synchrotron
radiation, radiation damping
Organization
Lectures M W F 11:00 - 11:50 AM
Homework (50%)
Term exam (25% for each of two)
Text: L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, The classical theory of fields
Recent Instructors
Anthony Chan, Spring 2008, landau.rice.edu/~aac/phys532/syllabus.html
Thomas Hill, Spring 2007
All information is representative only, and is likely to
change from year to year.