9.

2 Electromagnetic Waves in Vacuum 197

Solutions @ of equations El* = 0 are of the form e*i(k'rFwt)with k2 =

w2/c2, since

A wave for which

f ( r ,t) = k . r - wt = const.
is called a plane wave. In its case

V f ( r , t ) = k,
i.e. the wave vector k is orthogonal to the plane defined by f ( r , t ) = const.
From k2 = w2/c2 we deduce that k = w / c = 27r/X, X the wavelength. How-
ever, for an arbitrary curve r = r ( t ) in the plane f ( r , t ) = const. one has
k . r = w, i.e. k . v = w , v = w/k for r 11 k, as we can choose. The vector
k points in the direction of propagation of the wave. For electromagnetic
waves in vacuum v = c.
We now consider a general solution of the equation O E = 0. We can
write this
E = Eolei(k.r-wt) + EoZe-i(k'r+wt) (9.5)
("one time, several space directions"). We can restrict ourselves first to
E = Eoei(k.r-wt)

(or to E = Eo cos(k.r-wt), since only the real part has physical significance).
We let the vector Eo be constant in space and time. Then

i.e. we have the replacements

V
a
+ ik, - --+ -iw.
at
We consider B in a similar way. Maxwell's equations then become

k xB
E= wB, } : . E L B , k
= -%E, and B L E , k ,

k.E =
k * B=
0,
0,
} :. E , B I k.