Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 2 4C Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-10-03
Vanishing net charge density does not require vanishing current. Positive and negative charge carriers can cancel in charge density while their oppositely directed motions add to a nonzero current. Charge conservation only requiresfor magnetostatics this becomes .
Because , one may introduce a magnetic vector potential withIt is not unique: gives the same field for any scalar .
For the stated current,so it is consistent with stationary charge conservation. Direct calculation givesThus is a Beltrami field. For , chooseThen and . A convenient Coulomb-gauge potential issince and . Gradient gauge terms may of course be added.