Electromagnetic radiation

Electromagnetic Radiation is a graduate level book on classical electrodynamics with a strong emphasis on radiation. This book is meant to quickly and efficiently introduce students to the electromagnetic radiation science essential to a practicing physicist. While a major focus is on light and its interactions, topics in radio frequency radiation, x-rays, and beyond are also treated. Special emphasis is placed on applications, with many exercises and homework problems. The format of the book is designed to convey the basic concepts of a topic in the main central text in the book in a mathematically rigorous manner, but with detailed derivations routinely relegated to the accompanying side notes or end of chapter “Discussions.” The book is composed of four parts: Part I is a review of basic E&M, and assumes the reader has a had a good upper division undergraduate course, and while it offers a concise review of topics covered in such a course, it does not treat any given topic in detail; specifically electro- and magnetostatics. Part II addresses the origins of radiation in terms of time variations of charge and current densities within the source, and presents Jefimenko’s field equations as derived from retarded potentials. Part III introduces special relativity and its deep connection to Maxwell’s equations, together with an introduction to relativistic field theory, as well as the relativistic treatment of radiation from an arbitrarily accelerating charge. A highlight of this part is a chapter on the still partially unresolved problem of radiation reaction on an accelerating charge. Part IV treats the practical problems of electromagnetic radiation interacting with matter, with chapters on energy transport, scattering, diffraction and finally an illuminating, application-oriented treatment of fields in confined environments. "'Electromagnetic Radiation' is a graduate level book on classical electrodynamics with a strong emphasis on radiation. This book is meant to quickly and efficiently introduce students to the electromagnetic radiation science essential to a practicing physicist. While a major focus is on light and its interactions, topics in radio frequency radiation, x-rays, and beyond are also treated. Special emphasis is placed on applications, with many exercises and problems. The format of the book is designed to convey the basic concepts in a mathematically rigorous manner, but with detailed derivations routinely relegated to the accompanying side notes or end of chapter 'Discussions'. The book is composed of four parts: Part I is a review of basic E&M (electricity and magnetism), and presents a concise review of topics covered in the subject. Part II addresses the origins of radiation in terms of time variations of charge and current densities within the source, and presents Jefimenko's field equations as derived from retarded potentials. Part III introduces special relativity and its deep connection to Maxwell's equations, together with an introduction to relativistic field theory, as well as the relativistic treatment of radiation from an arbitrarily accelerating charge. A highlight of this part is a chapter on the still partially unresolved problem of radiation reaction on an accelerating charge. Part IV treats the practical problems of electromagnetic radiation interacting with matter, with chapters on energy transport, scattering, diffraction and finally an illuminating, application-oriented treatment of fields in confined environments"--Page 4 of cover Part I: Introductory Foundations1: Essentials of Electricity and Magnetism2: The PotentialsPart II: Origins of Radiation Fields3: General Relations between Fields and Sources4: Fields in terms of the Multiple Moments of the SourcePart III: Electromagnetism and Special Relativity5: Introduction to Special Relativity6: Radiation from Charges Moving at Relativistic Velocities7: Relativistic Electrodynamics8: Field Reactions to Moving ChargesPart IV: Radiation in Materials9: Properties of Electromagnetic Radiation in Materials10: Models of Electromagnetic Response of Materials11: Scattering of Electromagnetic Radiation in Materials12: Diffraction and the Propagation of Light13: Radiation Fields in Constrained Environments This graduate level textbook aims to teach fundamental ideas of advanced classical electrodynamics, with an emphasis on the physics of radiation. The text describes concepts with the minimum required mathematical detail, while the accompanying side notes and end of chapter discussions provide the detailed derivations.