Maxwell's equations and their content; origin and properties of electromagnetic waves.
Pre-requisites: General Physics I (electricity, optics); Differential and Integral Calculus.
Corequisites: Mathematical Physics I course
Understand the laws of propagation of electromagnetic waves (including light) from Maxwell's equations (laws of electricity and magnetism)
The theoretical physics course is, for physicists, the first part of a complete course in classical electrodynamics, which will continue the following year with the course [SPHY-B303] in Classical Electrodynamics II. This first part discusses the phenomena of electromagnetic wave propagation (part II deals with the phenomena of wave emission).
1. Maxwell's equations 2. Existence and properties of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum 3. Propagation of electromagnetic waves in dielectric media 4. Reflection and refraction of electromagnetic waves on a plane interface separating two dielectric media 5. Wave behaviour in an ohmic conducting medium: complex dielectric constant 7. Metal mirror, plasma oscillations, surface plasmons 6. Causality: Kramers-Kronig relations 8. Electromagnetic wave guides
An oral test of knowledge (theory presented in the course) and a written test of skills (exercises).
At the oral, students draw two questions, one relating to the first part of the course and the other to the second. They have the opportunity to prepare their answers to these questions before being questioned orally. The two course teachers question students successively on their part of the course, with each part counting equally towards the mark for the oral exam. The exercise mark accounts for one third of the total mark.
"Électrodynamique classique "John David Jackson Traduction française : Christian Jeanmougin (relecture scientifique de Jean Pol Vigneron) Dunod (2001) ISBN : 2-10-004411-7