ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY 2019-20

TUTORIAL I

MATHEMATICAL PRELIMINARIES & REVISION OF

ELECTROMAGNETISM

1. Practice with index notation in vector analysis

Consider the vector potential from a static magnetic dipole or magnetic dipole moment
m. In a coordinate system with origin at the centre of the dipole, this can be written
as (in Coulomb Gauge)

µ0 m × r̂
A(r) =
4π r2
Derive the magnetic field associated with this dipole.

2. (a) Show that

1
δ(kx) = δ(x)
|k|
where k 6= 0 is a constant.

(b) Show that

d
x (δ(x)) = −δ(x)
dx

(c) Define a theta function as

Θ(x) = 1 if x > 0
= 0 if x ≤ 0

Show that

dΘ(x)
= δ(x)
dx

1
3. Prove that :

1 1
∇2 = ∇2 = −4πδ 3 (~r − ~r0 )
R |~r − ~r0 |
where δ 3 (~r − ~r0 ) is the 3-dimensional Dirac delta function.

4. The total magnetostatic field B ~ at a point ~x, due to all elemental stationary line
currents inside a closed volume V 0 , can be expressed in Gaussian units by

1
Z ~j(~x0 )
~
B(~x) = 3 0 ~
d x ∇× ,
c V0 R

where R ~ = (~x − ~x0 ), and ~j is the static current density vector, which is divergence-free
~ · ~j = 0). Show that B
(∇ ~ satisfies the differential equation

~ x) = 4π ~j(~x) .
~ × B(~
∇
c
~ ×B
[Hint: Using a vector identity split ∇ ~ into two integrals. Show one of the integrals to vanish, by shifting the integrand in
~ 0 ~ ~ 0
terms of ∇ (note that ∇(1/R) = −∇ (1/R)), then either integrating by parts or applying the divergence theorem, and finally
~ · ~j = 0. Obtain the required answer from the other integral by using a well-known
using the fact that ~j is localized and ∇
relation involving the delta function.]

5. Helmholtz Theorem:

~ can be written as a sum of a solenoidal and an irrotational

Show that any vector A
part. That is

~ = ∇φ
A ~ +∇
~ × V~

State the assumptions under which this is true and find the quantities φ and ~v .