Electromagnetic Waves: Revision
of Maxwell's equations. Light as an electromagnetic wave.
Polarisation and partial
polarisation. Light in anisotropic media, polarisers, optical
activity, Faraday rotation.
Electrodynamics: Vector
potential, A, calculation of
A in simple cases, Aharonov-Bohm effect, Maxwell's
equations in terms of A and \phi, choice of gauge,
wave equations for A and \phi, and general
solution, retarded potentials.
Radiation: Time-varying fields
and radiation, Hertzian dipole, power radiated including angular
distribution, magnetic dipoles. Properties of antennas: effective
area, radiation resistance, power-pattern. Half-wave dipole.
Scattering: cross-section, Thomson and Rayleigh scattering, denser
media and the structure factor.
Fundamentals of Special
Relativity: Experimental basis and tests of SR, Lorentz
transformations, elementary consequences, Doppler effect, aberration
and visual appearance of objects.
The structure of spacetime:
Intervals, invariants, light cone, 4-vectors, scalar products,
transformations of 4-vectors, 4-velocity, 4-acceleration,
transformation of plane waves, fundamentals of tensor algebra.
Relativistic particle dynamics: Relativistic momentum,
energy, conservation of 4-momentum, Compton scattering, 4-force,
systems with variable velocity.
Relativistic Electrodynamics:
Charges and currents, 4-current, 4-potential, transformation of
E and B, covariance of Maxwell's
equations, magnetism as a relativistic effect, field strength tensor,
dual field strength tensor, invariants of the EM field, energy and
momentum of the EM field. Electrodynamics as the ``simplest''
relativistic theory.
Radiation and relativistic electrodynamics: fields of a
uniformly moving charge, Cerenkov radiation, accelerated charges,
Larmor and Lienard formulae, cyclotron and synchrotron
radiation, Bremsstrahlung.
Books
Optics, Hecht E (4th edition Addison Wesley 2002)
Optical Physics Lipson SG, Lipson H & Tannhauser (3rd edition CUP 1995) [Ch 6 for anisotropic materials]
Electromagnetic
Fields and Waves, Lorrain P, Corson D R & Lorrain F (3rd
edition Freeman 1988).
Introduction
to Special Relativity, Rindler W (2nd edition OUP 1991).
Introduction
to Electrodynamics, Griffiths D J (3rd edn Prentice Hall 1999).
Electromagnetic Fields: Sources and Media, Portis A M (Wiley 1978).
Classical
Electrodynamics, Jackson JD (3rd edition Wiley 1999). [More advanced
level]
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