27215 - General Physics 2

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has the basis of elettromagnetism and of special relativity and obtains the necessary abilities for the solution of elementary problems.

Course contents

a) Differential and Integral Calculus of Vector Fields The gradient operator. Second order derivatives. Flux and circulation of a vector field. Gauss' and Stokes' theorems.

b) Electrostatics. Coulomb's law. Electric field and electric potential. Gauss theorem. Poisson equation. Dipole and multipoles. Conductors and capacitors. Electrostatic energy. Dielectrics.

c) Steady electric currents. Continuity equation. Ohm's and Joule's laws. Kirchhoff's laws.

d) Magnetostatics. Magnetic force on a current. Lorenz force. Biot-Savart law. Laplace equations. Flux and circulation of magnetic field. Potential vector. Ampere equivalence theorem. The magnetism of matter.

e) The laws of induction. The physics of induction and the Faraday law. Non conservative electric fields. Self-induction and mutual induction. The magnetic field energy.

f) Maxwell equations. The Displacement current. General solution with retarded potentials.

g) Wave. Wave equation. Plane and sperical waves. Electromagnetic waves. Waves polarization. Field energy and field momentum. Radiation pressure. Dipole radiation and Larmor formula. Waves propagation in matter. Monocromaric waves and real waves. Phase velocity and group velocity.

h) Limits of the classical electromagnetism. Photoelectric effect.

i) Radiation of a charged particle.

1) Relativity. Galileo Transformations and their incompatibility with Maxwell laws. Invariance of light speed. Lorentz
Transformations. Velocity composition. Length contraction and time dilation. Proper time. Relativistic dynamics. Mass-energy equivalence. Momentum and energy conservation. Scattering. Electromagnetism in relativity. Transformations of E and B
fields.

Readings/Bibliography

a) Halliday, Resnick e Krane, FISICA 2, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana 

b) Amaldi et al., FISICA GENERALE, Zanichelli

c) Giacomelli e Gregorini, FISICA GENERALE - Elettromagnetismo e Ottica, La Nuova Italia Scientifica

d) Gettys et al., FISICA 2, Elettomagnetismo-Onde-Ottica, McGraw-Hill

e) Feynmann et al., "The Feynmann Lectures on Physics", Addison Wesley

f) Bruno, D'Agostino, Santoro, Esercizi di Fisica - Elettromagnetismo, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana

g) R. Resnick, Introduzione alla relativita' ristretta, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana

Teaching methods

Lectures and exercises

Assessment methods

Written and Oral exam

Office hours

See the website of Loretta Gregorini