ELETTRODINAMICA CLASSICA E RELATIVITA' SPECIALE

Degree course: 
Corso di First cycle degree in Physics
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2021/2022
Year: 
2
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2022/2023
Course type: 
Compulsory subjects, characteristic of the class
Credits: 
8
Period: 
Second semester
Standard lectures hours: 
64
Detail of lecture’s hours: 
Lesson (64 hours)
Assessment: 
Voto Finale

Module B is unofficially divided into two sub-modules, the first dedicated to teaching classical electrodynamics, the second to Einstein's special (or restricted) theory of relativity. In particular, the specific contents can be summarized as follows:

CLASSICAL ELECTRODYNAMICS
- ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION
Static Maxwell equations, Faraday-Neumann-Lenz law, applications of Faraday's law, self-induction, RL circuits, electric oscillations, Maxwell equations
- ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
Maxwell's equations without sources: plane waves, spherical waves
- RADIATION FROM CHARGES IN MOTION
Maxwell equations with sources: potentials, delayed potentials, point charge, dipole approximation, spectrum of electromagnetic waves, expansion in multipoles
- RADIATION-MATTER INTERACTION
Diffusion, chromatic dispersion in a dielectric, absorption of radiation, free electrons.

SPECIAL RELATIVITY
- FORMULATION OF THE THEORY
Minkowski space-time, Lorentz transformations, composition of velocity, relativistic acceleration, paradoxes in RS
- RELATIVISTIC MECHANICS
Generalization of Newtonian mechanics, massless particles, example: charge in an EM field, example: particle in central potential
-VECTOR AND TENSOR ALGEBRA
Four-vector, tensors, 1-forms, metric tensor, covariant formulation of mechanics, example: Compton effect, example: energy-momentum tensor
- COVARIANT ELECTRODYNAMICS
Principle of least action and electromagnetic tensor, covariant formulation of eqz. Maxwell's, transformation of fields, radiation from relativistic charges

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The second module is delivered, during the first semester, at the end of the first module, and consists of 64 hours of frontal lessons. The teacher of the module holds the lesson through the use of an i-PAD, introducing the different topics and carrying out calculations and demonstrations, as well as some example problems. At the end of each lesson, the produced file is uploaded to the e-learning platform and made available to students.
For both modules, 12 hours of practice are provided, held by a trainer in order to better prepare students to take the written exam. Further exercises, also taken from previous exam topics, are carried out in class by the teacher of each module.

For more information or to request an interview, please contact the teacher via e-mail address:
- Prof Francesco Haardt, e-mail: francesco.haardt@uninsubria.it

Professors

Parent course