Paper 1, Section II, 36C

Electrodynamics | Part II, 2014

(i) Starting from the field-strength tensor Fμν=μAννAμF_{\mu \nu}=\partial_{\mu} A_{\nu}-\partial_{\nu} A_{\mu}, where Aμ=(ϕ/c,A)A^{\mu}=(\phi / c, \mathbf{A}) is the 4-vector potential with components such that

E=Atϕ and B=×A\mathbf{E}=-\frac{\partial \mathbf{A}}{\partial t}-\boldsymbol{\nabla} \phi \quad \text { and } \quad \mathbf{B}=\boldsymbol{\nabla} \times \mathbf{A}

derive the transformation laws for the components of the electric field E\mathbf{E} and the magnetic field B\mathbf{B} under the standard Lorentz boost xμ=Λνμxνx^{\prime \mu}=\Lambda_{\nu}^{\mu} x^{\nu} with

Λνμ=(γγβ00γβγ0000100001)\Lambda_{\nu}^{\mu}=\left(\begin{array}{cccc} \gamma & -\gamma \beta & 0 & 0 \\ -\gamma \beta & \gamma & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 1 \end{array}\right)

(ii) Two point charges, each with electric charge qq, are at rest and separated by a distance dd in some inertial frame SS. By transforming the fields from the rest frame SS, calculate the magnitude and direction of the force between the two charges in an inertial frame in which the charges are moving with speed βc\beta c in a direction perpendicular to their separation.

(iii) The 4-force for a particle with 4-momentum pμp^{\mu} is Fμ=dpμ/dτF^{\mu}=d p^{\mu} / d \tau, where τ\tau is proper time. Show that the components of FμF^{\mu} in an inertial frame in which the particle has 3 -velocity v\mathbf{v} are

Fμ=γ(Fv/c,F)F^{\mu}=\gamma(\mathbf{F} \cdot \mathbf{v} / c, \mathbf{F})

where γ=(1vv/c2)1/2\gamma=\left(1-\mathbf{v} \cdot \mathbf{v} / c^{2}\right)^{-1 / 2} and F\mathbf{F} is the 3-force acting on the particle. Hence verify that your result in (ii) above is consistent with Lorentz transforming the electromagnetic 3 -force from the rest frame SS.

Typos? Please submit corrections to this page on GitHub.