EM II Problem 3

A Moving Infinite Line of Charge:

The Lorentz Transformation for the Electromagnetic Field
Chris Mueller
Dept. of Physics, University of Florida
20 January, 2010
Jackson Problem 11.13
An infinitely long straight wire of negligible cross-sectional area is at rest and has a uniform
linear charge density q0 in the inertial frame K 0 . The frame K 0 (and the wire) move with velocity
v parallel to the direction of the wire with respect to the laboratory frame K.
a) Write down the electric and magnetic fields in cylindrical coordinates in the rest frame of the
wire. Using the Lorentz transformation properties of the fields, find the components of the
electric and magnetic fields in the laboratory.
b) What are the charge and current densities associated with the wire in its rest frame? In the
laboratory?
c) From the laboratory charge and current densities, calculate directly the electric and magnetic
fields in the laboratory. Compare with the results of part a.
Part a
In the rest frame of the wire there is no current flowing and the charge density is static. Hence,
B0 = 0
The electric field is easily found from Gausss law to be:
q0
E0 =

20
In order to find the fields as the would appear in frame K, we simply apply the Lorentz field
transformations. The components of the fields parallel to the direction (along the wire) are both
zero in frame K 0 and hence are also zero in frame K.
Ek = Ek0 = 0

Bk = Bk0 = 0

The perpendicular components however will get mixed into each other.
q0
0
E = (E
+ v B) =

20
v
-
-v q0
0
B = (B
2 E) = 2 (v E) = 2

c
c
c 20
We have chosen to be a unit vector pointing around the wire in a right-handed sense with respect
to the direction of motion.
Part b
In the rest frame the charge density is given and the current density is zero.
0 = q0 (x)(y)

I0 = 0

To find the charge and current densities, we will exploit the fact that the charge density J =
(c, J i ) is a 4-vector and must therefore transform under a Lorentz transformation like the positiontime 4-vector.
1
= (c0 ) = q0 (x)(y)
c
J z = (v0 ) = vq0 (x)(y)

Note that we could also have derived the new charge density by considering the relativistic length
contraction of the wire as it moves.
Part c
Using Gausss law again to find the electric field gives:
E=

q0

20

Similarly, we can use Amperes law to find the magnetic field.

B=

0 vq0 -v q0
= 2

2
c 20

So we see that transforming the sources first and then calculating the fields leads to the same result
as calculating the fields and then transforming between frames. Hence, Maxwells equations and
electrodynamics are self consistent.