ELETTRODINAMICA CLASSICA

The course has a purely theoretical character and presents an in-depth study of the topics of the Physics 2 course, an introduction to classical field theory and an introduction to geometric algebra applied to electromagnetism.

Knowledge and understanding: Inductive and deductive reasoning skills. Ability to set up a problem using relationships between physical quantities and mathematical models.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: Ability to develop theoretical models. Ability to read and understand scientific literature.

Autonomy of judgment: Critical reasoning skills. Ability to identify the predictions of a theory or model.

Communication skills: Good computer skills. Good skills in the management of scientific information and in data processing and bibliographic research. Ability to present orally, with properties of terminological rigor, a scientific topic, illustrating its reasons and results.

Learning skills: Ability to know how to update one's scientific knowledge through the reading of scientific publications in Italian and English.

Lectures.

Should the circumstances require online or blended teaching, appropriare modification to what is hereby stated may be introduced, in order to achieve the mai objectives of the course.

Review of vector analysis, gradient, divergence, rotor. Laplacian operator. Helmholtz theorem. Dirac Delta in 3D. Review of Maxwell's equations in integral and differential form in a fixed reference system. Potentials, gauge transformations. Recalls of special relativity, Lorentz transformations, time dilation, length contraction, Minkowski space-time, four-vector. Symmetries and covariance of Maxwell's equations, fields associated with a particle in uniform motion. Maxwell's theory as a classical field theory. Lagrangian density and equations of motion for a field theory, Lagrangian density for electromagnetic fields with sources. Hints of geometric algebra. Geometric interpretation of the internal and external product. Electromagnetism in 3 + 1 D. Space and time, classification of space-time vectors and bivectors. Application of space-time geometric algebra.

D. Griffith, Introduction to Electrodynamics, Benjamin Cummings; C.S. Helrich, The classical theory of fields - Electromagnetism; F. Scheck, Classical field theory; J.W. Arthur, Understanding geometric algebra for electromagnetic theory.