PHYS 515A - Electromagnetic Theory
Spring 2016
Web page
Classes
Instructor
Office
Office hours
https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/home/481375
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm,
College of Education, Room 535
Class dates: January 14 – May 3,
(no class on March 15, March 17 – spring break)
Professor Stefan Meinel
Department of Physics, Room 420A
Wednesdays, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
or by appointment
Email
smeinel@email.arizona.edu
Phone
520 621 2453
Course description
PHYS 515A is the first part of a two-semester graduate course in classical electrodynamics.
The approximate outline for this semester is
1. Introduction: gauge invariance, potentials, fields, Maxwell’s equations
2. Electrostatics: Laplace and Poisson equations, boundary value problems, electrostatic energy,
expansions with orthonormal functions, multipole expansion, polarization
3. Magnetostatics: Biot-Savart law, magnetostatic energy, magnetic moment, magnetization
4. Time-dependent fields I: Faraday’s law of induction, conservation laws, time-dependent Green
functions, multipole expansion of radiation
5. Time-dependent fields II: macroscopic Maxwell equations, plane electromagnetic waves, reflection and refraction, dispersion, wave guides
The second part, PHYS 515B, will cover the four-dimensional notation, the Lagrangian formulation,
the fully relativistic treatment of radiating systems, and other topics.
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Recommended textbooks
• J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics, Third Edition
• A. Zangwill, Modern Electrodynamics
• F. Melia, Electrodynamics
• L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, The Classical Theory of Fields (Course of Theoretical
Physics Series, Volume 2)
• L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, Electrodynamics of Continuous Media (Course of Theoretical
Physics Series, Volume 8)
Method of evaluation
• Homework problems: approximately 10 problem sets
• First written exam: Thursday, February 25, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
• Second written exam: Thursday, April 7, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
• Final written exam: Wednesday, May 11, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Grade weighting scheme:
• Homework problems: 40%
• First written exam: 15%
• Second written exam: 15%
• Final written exam: 30%
Rules for exams
You may bring one letter-size sheet of paper with equations on one side. No other material and no
electronic devices are allowed.
Rules for homework problems
Homework problems will be posted on the D2L course web page together with their due dates. You
are encouraged to discuss the problems with other students, but the write-up of the solutions must
be your own and represent your understanding.
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