Paper 3, Section II, C

Electromagnetism | Part IB, 2018

Use Maxwell's equations to show that

ddtΩ(ϵ02EE+12μ0BB)dV+ΩJEdV=1μ0Ω(E×B)ndS\frac{d}{d t} \int_{\Omega}\left(\frac{\epsilon_{0}}{2} \mathbf{E} \cdot \mathbf{E}+\frac{1}{2 \mu_{0}} \mathbf{B} \cdot \mathbf{B}\right) d V+\int_{\Omega} \mathbf{J} \cdot \mathbf{E} d V=-\frac{1}{\mu_{0}} \int_{\partial \Omega}(\mathbf{E} \times \mathbf{B}) \cdot \mathbf{n} d S

where ΩR3\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^{3} is a bounded region, Ω\partial \Omega its boundary and n\mathbf{n} its outward-pointing normal. Give an interpretation for each of the terms in this equation.

A certain capacitor consists of two conducting, circular discs, each of large area AA, separated by a small distance along their common axis. Initially, the plates carry charges q0q_{0} and q0-q_{0}. At time t=0t=0 the plates are connected by a resistive wire, causing the charge on the plates to decay slowly as q(t)=q0eλtq(t)=q_{0} \mathrm{e}^{-\lambda t} for some constant λ\lambda. Construct the Poynting vector and show that energy flows radially out of the capacitor as it discharges.

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