Electrostatic Boundary Conditions

EE 141 Lecture Notes

Topic 13
(5.3 of Text)
Professor K. E. Oughstun
School of Engineering
College of Engineering & Mathematical Sciences
University of Vermont

2009

Motivation

Dielectric Boundary Conditions

Dielectric Boundary Conditions

Let the interface separating two dielectrics with permittivities 1 & 2
directed from medium 2 into
be denoted by S with surface normal n
medium 1.
At any point r S the electric field vector Ej (r), j = 1, 2, on either
side of the interface S may be decomposed into tangential Etj (r) and
normal Enj (r) components with respect to the surface S at that
point as
E1 (r) = Et1 (r) + En1 (r),
E2 (r) = Et2 (r) + En2 (r),

(1)
(2)

for all r S.
changes as r S varies over the interface surface S
Notice that n
and that this field decomposition will then also vary as this direction
changes.

Dielectric Boundary Conditions

Application of the integral form of Faradays law to an infinitesimally
small loop C in the plane of the incident and transmitted electric field
vectors about the point r S, the upper side tangent to S in
medium 1 and the lower side tangent to S in medium 2, gives
I
Z b
Z d
~
~
E d =
E2 d +
E1 d ~ = 0
C

where the contributions from the sides vanish as h 0 about S.

In addition,
E2 d ~ = Et2 ,

& E1 d ~ = Et1

in the limit as 0 on S. Hence, in this limit, Faradays law gives

Et2 Et1 = 0, or
Et1 (r) = Et2 (r),

rS

(3)

The tangential component of E is continuous across the interface S.

Dielectric Boundary Conditions

Application of the integral form of Gauss law to an infinitesimally
small pillbox of thickness h 0 with upper surface S1 parallel to
1 = n
and lower surface S2
S in medium 1 with outward normal n
2 =
parallel to S in medium 2 with outward normal n
n, gives
I
ZZ
ZZ
1 ds +
2 ds = s s
D ds =
D1 n
D2 n
SG

S1

S2

where the contributions from the sides vanish as h 0 about S.

Here s = s (r), r S, denotes the surface charge density residing
on the interface S. In the limit as s 0, one obtains


D1 (r) D2 (r) = s (r), r S
n
(4)
or

Dn1 (r) Dn2 (r) = s (r),

rS

(5)

The normal component of D changes discontinuously across the

interface S by an amount given by the surface charge density s at
that point.

Dielectric Boundary Conditions

At the interface between two dielectrics with s = 0, the boundary
conditions are
1 En1 = 2 En2 ,
Et1 = Et2 .

and
Let E1 be at the angle 1 with respect to the surface normal n
E2 be at the angle 2 with respect to the surface normal
n, where




Et1
Et2
1 = arctan
, 2 = arctan
.
En1
En2

Dielectric Boundary Conditions

Then
tan 2 =

2 Et1
2
Et2
=
= tan 1 ,
En2
1 En1
1

1 tan 1 = 2 tan 2

Notice that
1 > 2
2 > 1

=
=

tan 1 > tan 2

tan 2 > tan 1

(6)

Boundary Conditions at the Surface of a

Perfect Conductor ( = )
A perfect conductor may be defined as a material inside which
electric charge can freely flow.
In electrostatics one assumes that the charges have all reached their
equilibrium positions and are now fixed in space. Hence, inside a
conductor the electrostatic field intensity E vanishes and all points
are at the same potential; that is, a conductor forms an equipotential.
When a conductor is charged, the charges arrange themselves so that
the net electric field due to all the charges is zero inside the
conductor. If a conductor is placed in an electrostatic field, the
charges temporarily flow within it in such a manner to produce a
second field that, added to the first, results in a net zero field inside
the conductor. The field outside the conductor is then distorted by
these charges, resulting in an altered static configuration.

Boundary Conditions at the Surface of a

Perfect Conductor ( = )
By Gauss law for an electrostatic field, = E = 0 within a
conductor. Hence, any net static charge on a conductor must reside
on its surface.
At the surface S of a conductor, the electrostatic field intensity E(r)
must be normal to S, for if it were not, there would be a tangential
component of E that would cause the surface charge to flow along
the surface. Hence, by Gauss law
Eext (r) =

s (r)
,
n

rS

(7)

denotes the unit outward normal vector to S at the point

where n
r S, s (r) denotes the surface charge density at that point, and
where Eext (r) denotes the electrostatic field just above the conductor
surface S at that point in a medium with dielectric permittivity .

Boundary Conditions at the Surface of a

Perfect Conductor ( = )

Eext(r)

=0
>0

E(r) = 0
s(r)

Illustration of the external electrostatic field Eext (r) terminating on

the surface charge s (r) of a conductor surface S embedded in a
dielectric medium with permittivity .

Problems
Problem 15. Charge Q1 is uniformly distributed over a spherical
surface of radius a surrounding a dielectric with permittivity 1 , and
charge Q2 is uniformly distributed over a spherical surface of radius b
where the dielectric permittivity is 2 for a < r < b and 2 for r > b,
as illustrated. Apply Gauss law and the appropriate boundary
conditions to determine the electrostatic field in each of the spherical
regions 0 r < a, a < r < b, and r > b.
Q2
Q1

2
3