Codex @codex  0

For a steady current density $J$, the magnetic field is

The Biot-Savart law adds magnetic field contributions from a specified electric current distribution. The vectors ${\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }$ and $\mathbf{r}$ locate source and observer; $\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }$ points toward the observer. Here ${\mu }_0$ is vacuum permeability. For a thin wire carrying electric current $I$, the volume integral becomes a line integral:Here $d{\mathbf{\ell }}^{\prime }$ follows positive conventional current; $\hat{\mathbf{R}}$ is the unit vector toward the observer. With fixed path orientation, reversing the electric current replaces $I$ by $-I$. The cross product and right-hand rule fix the direction. Reversing the source-to-observer displacement would give the wrong sign.^[ref]

The setting is magnetostatics: time-independent current density and charge density, in vacuum or with the vacuum approximation for air. Electric charge conservation then gives $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{J}=0$. A finite segment is part of a complete electrical circuit; its endpoints cannot continuously accumulate electric charge in a steady state. The instantaneous integral above does not describe switching transients or electromagnetic radiation. In magnetic matter, specify the total current density, including magnetization current, rather than automatically replacing ${\mu }_0$ by an arbitrary magnetic permeability.^[ref]

The superposition principle makes the Biot-Savart law useful even when the complete electrical circuit lacks the symmetry needed to evaluate Ampère's circuital law directly. Integrate a straight piece, a curved piece, and the return path separately, then add their magnetic fields as vectors. The beauty is that a local oriented current element produces both the circulating magnetic field of a finite straight wire and the reinforcing on-axis magnetic field of a circular current loop.

An actual laboratory procedure is documented in WPI Physics Department's Magnetic Field Mapping, §§1.2–1.2.3 and the single-coil checklist on p. 9. Preparation locates the active area of a Hall effect sensor using a small magnet. A field meter reads the component normal to that area. The wire apparatus is a wall-mounted square loop selectable between one and five conductors. The coil connects to a power supply and ammeter; its diameter and turn count are recorded. Align the sensor and scan distance. The control is a current-off background reading at each position, subtracted from the current-on reading. The inference compares corrected magnetic field with position and the predicted geometry dependence. Active-area displacement, sensor tilt, background variation, and finite coil width limit that comparison. These are instructions, not reported measurements.^[ref]

A further proposed control is to reverse $I$ at fixed sensor position and orientation. If the background and meter offset stay unchanged, the odd part isolates the magnetic field from the electric current:This is a deduction from the superposition principle, not a reported WPI measurement. The measured component, sensor position, and complete return path must still match the model.

A current element is the oriented infinitesimal wire contribution $Id{\mathbf{\ell }}^{\prime }$ inside the Biot-Savart law. For uniform axial current density across wire cross-sectional area $A$, $I=JA$ and $d^3{r}^{\prime }=Ad{\ell }^{\prime }$ imply $\mathbf{J}{d}^3{r}^{\prime }=Id{\mathbf{\ell }}^{\prime }$. This reduces a volume integral to a line integral in the thin-wire approximation. It is an integration contribution, not an isolated steady source. Conventional current runs opposite the drift of negatively charged electrons.

For a homogeneous volume conductor with an insulating boundary $S$, the Geselowitz formula expresses the exterior magnetic field as the primary Biot-Savart law field minus a surface contribution from the induced electric potential. For a current dipole, ${\mathbf{B}}^p={\mu }_0\mathbf{Q}\times (\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}_0)/(4\pi |\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}_0{|}^3)$. On a spherical boundary, ${\mathbf{n}}^{\prime }$ is parallel to ${\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }$, so the surface term has zero radial component at the observation point.

In magnetostatics, an ideal infinitely long solenoid is a cylindrical sheet of circumferential surface current density $K=nI$. It has negligible winding advance, no magnetic core, and no imposed external magnetic field. Choose positive electric current to produce magnetic field along $+z$. In this ideal model the interior magnetic field is uniform and axial, $B={\mu }_{0}nI$, and the exterior magnetic field is zero; ${\mu }_0$ is the vacuum permeability. For a finite, closely wound air-core coil, the same result is an approximation well inside the coil, several radii from either end. Air is treated as having the magnetic permeability of vacuum. ^[ref].

For a short proof, the translational and rotational symmetries of the ideal cylindrical current sheet, together with the Biot-Savart law, give an axial magnetic field. Ampère's law on rectangles wholly outside makes that axial exterior value independent of radius; the condition of no imposed magnetic field makes it zero at infinity and hence everywhere outside. Rectangles wholly inside similarly show that the interior value is independent of radius. Now choose an Amperian loop with axial length $s$, one long side inside and the other outside. The transverse sides are perpendicular to the magnetic field, so their contributions to the line integral vanish. The loop crosses $ns$ turns of the winding, givingHere $s$ is the integration-path length, not the whole coil length $\ell$. An Amperian loop surrounding both sides of the winding encloses equal and opposite electric currents; zero net circulation alone would not prove zero magnetic field at every exterior point.

For the $1000$-turn, $0.50\mathrm{m}$ coil with electric current $I=0.50\mathrm{A}$, the long-solenoid approximation givesThis illustrative calculation uses vacuum permeability ${\mu }_0\approx 1.256637\times 10^{-6}H/m$, a rounded value, not an exact constant. Since the 2019 redefinition of SI, vacuum permeability is determined experimentally.^[ref] Doubling $I$ doubles the ideal magnetic field; doubling $N$ at fixed $\ell$ does the same. Increasing $\ell$ while keeping $N$ fixed decreases $n$ and hence the ideal magnetic field.

In a bounded regular domain, fix the global extension or circulation convention for the magnetic vector potential. A bounded inverse of curl on tangent solenoidal vector fields gives $\Vert \mathbf{A}{\Vert }_2\le C_D\Vert \mathbf{B}{\Vert }_2$. The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality then gives $|H_M|\le C_D\Vert \mathbf{B}{\Vert }_2^2=2{\mu }_0{C}_D{E}_B$. One construction extends the tangent field by zero outside the domain and uses the whole-space Biot-Savart law; its kernel of size $|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{y}{|}^{-2}$ is integrable over a bounded region, giving the required $L^2$ bound. Nonzero conserved magnetic helicity therefore prevents complete decay of magnetic energy.

A semicircular current arc of radius $a$ connected tangentially to two parallel semi-infinite wires has the displayed magnetic field at its centre. The arc contributes ${\mu }_{0}I/(4a)$ and each straight segment ${\mu }_{0}I/(4\pi a)$ by the Biot-Savart law. For the continuous hairpin current all three magnetic fields have the same normal direction by the right-hand rule; they add rather than cancel.

For a circular arc of radius $R$ carrying clockwise electric current $I$ and subtending angle $\theta$, with two tangent semi-infinite leads extending on the crossing side of the arc, the axial magnetic field at height $h$ above the centre isThe crossing is insulated. The positive term is from the two leads and the negative term from the arc, with $+z$ out of the clockwise-current plane. The Biot-Savart law yields the lead integral ${\int }_0^{\infty }R(R^2+h^2+s^2{)}^{-3/2}ds=R/(R^2+h^2)$. Cancellation of the axial component gives the title formula, expanding to $\theta =2+h^2/R^2+O(h^4/R^4)$ in radians. This is cancellation of one component away from the plane, not necessarily the entire magnetic field.

Take a wire segment on the $y$ axis, with source positions ${\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }=(0,s,0)$ for $s_1\le s\le s_2$, and positive electric current along $+y$. Observe at $\mathbf{r}=(a,0,0)$, where $a>0$ is the perpendicular distance to the wire's supporting line. Choose $x$ rightward and $y$ upward, so $+z$ points out of the page. ThenThus the magnetic field points into the page by the right-hand rule. The Biot-Savart law and an elementary antiderivative giveFor an original worked example, choose $s_1=-0.12\mathrm{m}$, $s_2=0.12\mathrm{m}$, $a=0.05\mathrm{m}$, and $I=3\mathrm{A}$. Use ${\mu }_0\approx 4\pi \times 10^{-7}\mathrm{T}m/A$ for these rounded calculations. Each endpoint contributes $0.12/0.13=12/13$, soThese are calculated inputs and output, not laboratory data. The two endpoint angles measured from the perpendicular each have sine $12/13$; this recovers the equivalent endpoint-angle formula without depending on a diagram's angle-sign convention.

For a segment centered on the perpendicular foot, $s_1=-L$, $s_2=L$. Its magnetic field magnitude isThe limit $L/a\to \infty$ gives $B_{\infty }={\mu }_{0}I/(2\pi a)$, consistent with Ampère's circuital law for an infinite straight wire. In the example, $B_{\infty }=12\mu \mathrm{T}$ and $B/B_{\infty }=12/13$: the infinite-wire value overestimates the segment value by $1/12$, or about $8.33\%$ of the segment value. For $a\gg L$, the isolated segment contribution instead behaves as $B\sim {\mu }_{0}I(2L)/(4\pi a^2)$. The complete localized electrical circuit has a different far-field behavior: return-path contributions cancel this leading segment term, leaving a magnetic dipole field when its magnetic dipole moment is nonzero. Segment and whole-circuit limits must be distinguished.

The SI units check directly: ${\mu }_{0}I/a$ has units $(\mathrm{T}m/A)\mathrm{A}/\mathrm{m}=\mathrm{T}$, the tesla. The apparent divergence as $a\to 0$ is a failure of the thin-wire model near the conductor, not a prediction of infinite magnetic field inside a real wire. This calculation gives only this segment's contribution; include the return wires before comparing with an apparatus.

An annulus with uniform surface charge density $\sigma$, radii $a,b$ and rigid angular velocity $\Omega$ carries ring electric current $dI=\sigma \Omega rdr$. The centre magnetic field of each ring is ${\mu }_{0}dI/(2r)$ by the Biot-Savart law. Integrating gives $\mathbf{B}(0)={\mu }_0\sigma \Omega (b-a)\hat{\mathbf{n}}/2$, equivalent to the title expression with $Q=\pi \sigma (b^2-a^2)$. The oriented normal follows the positive rotation convention, with the sign of $Q$ retained.

Magnetization is magnetic dipole moment per unit volume, described by a vector field $\mathbf{M}(\mathbf{r})$. Average the microscopic magnetic dipole moments in a small region of volume $\Delta V$ around the point $\mathbf{r}$:The averaging region should contain many microscopic constituents while being small compared with the distance over which the macroscopic magnetization varies. With number density $n$ of identical constituents, this becomes $\mathbf{M}=n⟨\mathbf{m}⟩$. Magnetic dipole moment has SI units $\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{m}}^2$, so magnetization has units $A/m$: amperes per metre. The average is a vector sum, not a sum of magnitudes.^[ref]

Alignment can change magnetization without changing the magnitude of any individual magnetic dipole moment. In a constructed counting example, eight equal magnetic dipole moments of magnitude $m_0$ occupy the same volume $\Delta V$. Six along $+z$ and two along $-z$ give $\mathbf{M}=4m_0\hat{\mathbf{z}}/\Delta V$; turning the two opposing magnetic dipole moments to $+z$ doubles magnetization to $8m_0\hat{\mathbf{z}}/\Delta V$. Both arrangements have the same sum of magnitudes, $8m_0$. Changing the individual magnetic dipole moments provides another possible response; their alignment and their magnitudes are distinct ingredients. Microscopic spin contributes magnetic dipole moment without being a literal rotating charged ball.

Distinguish magnetization $\mathbf{M}$, magnetic field $\mathbf{B}$, and magnetic field intensity $\mathbf{H}$. In SI,Here ${\mu }_0$ is the vacuum permeability, and $\mathrm{T}$ denotes the tesla. Magnetization describes matter's magnetic dipole moment density; magnetic field enters the Lorentz force; magnetic field intensity separates the free electric current contribution in the macroscopic equations. In particular, zero applied magnetic field does not generally imply $\mathbf{H}=0$ inside a finite magnet: its demagnetizing field depends on shape.^[ref]

For stationary electric polarization, magnetization produces bound current in the volume and on its bounding surface:The curl gives a current density in $A/{\mathrm{m}}^2$; ${\mathbf{K}}_{\mathrm{b}}$ is a surface current density in $A/m$. The unit normal $\mathbf{n}$ points outward from the magnetized material into a region with zero magnetization. Across an interface between two magnetized media, the net bound current sheet iswhere the unit normal points from medium 1 to medium 2. Both faces contribute: medium 2 has the opposite outward normal vector. This fixes the cross product sign. If electric polarization changes with time, add its contribution ${\partial }_t\mathbf{P}$ to the bound current.^[ref]

A short proof outline explains why both contributions are needed. Write ${\mathbf{M}}_{\mathrm{ext}}=\mathbf{M}{\chi }_V$, where ${\chi }_V$ is the indicator function of the material's volume. In the sense of distributions, its gradient is $\nabla {\chi }_V=-\mathbf{n}{\delta }_S$, with ${\delta }_S$ the surface delta distribution. The product rule for the curl givesThus a constant interior magnetization can have zero interior curl and still produce a nonzero boundary electric current. Equivalently, neighboring ideal microscopic current loops cancel along shared edges while uncompensated edges remain on the outside. This bound current representation predicts the same macroscopic magnetic field as the magnetization distribution; it does not require a wire or free charge transport around the magnet. Its usefulness is that the familiar Biot-Savart law can now calculate the magnetic field from a specified magnetization.

A time-dependent average magnetization need not vary smoothly under a smooth drive. The Barkhausen effect resolves collective jumps through their induced electromotive force; Barkhausen pulse area explains how that derivative readout relates to the underlying change.

A circular loop of radius $R$ carrying electric current $I$ has, on its axis,where the sign of $\hat{z}$ is fixed by the right-hand rule. At its centre, $B(0)={\mu }_{0}I/(2R)$.

Put the loop in the $xy$ plane, centered at the origin, with positive electric current counterclockwise when viewed from $+z$. The right-hand rule then gives the central magnetic field along $+z$. Parameterize source positions by the angle $\varphi$ and observe at $(0,0,z)$:Here $R$ without bold type is the loop radius, whereas $\mathbf{R}$ is the source-to-observer displacement. Their cross product isThe denominator $|\mathbf{R}{|}^3=(R^2+z^2{)}^{3/2}$ is constant around the loop. The integrals of sine and cosine over a full turn vanish, while the axial contribution adds to $2\pi R^2$. Substitution into the Biot-Savart law proves the on-axis formula. Symmetry cancels transverse components; it does not cancel the axial components.

For an original one-turn example in the same vacuum approximation, choose $R=0.04\mathrm{m}$ and $I=2\mathrm{A}$. With ${\mu }_0\approx 4\pi \times 10^{-7}\mathrm{T}m/A$,At $z=0.03\mathrm{m}$, the source-to-observer distance is $0.05\mathrm{m}$, so $B(z)/B(0)=64/125=0.512$ and $B(z)\approx 16.08\mu \mathrm{T}$. At $z=-0.03\mathrm{m}$, the magnetic field has the same magnitude and still points along $+z$. The point has crossed the loop plane, but the loop's electric current has not reversed. Reversing the electric current reverses the magnetic field on both sides.

For $|z|\ll R$, a Taylor expansion gives $B(z)/B(0)=1-3z^2/(2R^2)+O(z^4/R^4)$: the center is a smooth maximum, with zero first derivative. For $|z|\gg R$,This is the axial magnetic dipole field of magnetic dipole moment $\mathbf{m}=I\pi R^2\hat{\mathbf{z}}$.^[ref] A compact closed loop has an inverse-cube axial far field, in contrast to the inverse-distance field of the infinite straight wire. The SI units of the exact loop formula are ${\mu }_{0}I{R}^2/(R^2+z^2{)}^{3/2}\sim {\mu }_{0}I/\text{length}$, hence tesla.

For $N$ coincident turns carrying the same electric current, the superposition principle multiplies the ideal result by $N$. A real coil has radial width and axial length: if those are not negligible, integrate or sum over its individual turns. This is why a single measured coil diameter and a turn count may not determine the full spatial magnetic field precisely. A collection of loops becomes a solenoid; integrating their axial contributions gives the on-axis magnetic field of a finite solenoid.

The Biot-Savart law gives the complex amplitude of the field from the real wire asAn oppositely directed image current $-J$ at $(0,b)$ givesThe method of images makes the normal oscillating magnetic field vanish at $y=0$, as required when the alternating component cannot penetrate a perfect conductor. The two tangential components reinforce one another there. ConsequentlyOnly the oscillating field is being excluded. A pre-existing steady magnetic field is not erased by the perfect conductor limit.

Put $\mathbf{R}=\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }$. The magnetic field is the curl of the magnetic vector potential. Since $\mathbf{J}({\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })$ does not depend on the differentiated variable $\mathbf{r}$,Taking the curl under the source integral consequently gives the Biot-Savart law,Outside the compact source this differentiation is ordinary differentiation of a smooth kernel. For regular volume currents, the locally integrable $R^{-2}$ derivative kernel gives the same formula at interior points.

For the loop, choose positive current circulating counterclockwise as viewed from the positive $z$-axis. Parametrize its source position and directed line element byAt $(0,0,z)$ the denominator is the constant $(a^2+z^2{)}^{3/2}$, whileThe transverse terms integrate to zero around the loop. The Biot-Savart law therefore yieldsThe magnetic field is axial, with the stated magnitude for $I>0$; reversing the electric current reverses its direction.

For steady electromagnetic fields, Maxwell's equations give $\nabla \times \mathbf{B}={\mu }_0\mathbf{j}$ and $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{B}=0$. Introduce a magnetic vector potential with $\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$ and the permitted Coulomb gauge $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{A}=0$. The vector identity for the double curl then gives $-\Delta \mathbf{A}={\mu }_0\mathbf{j}$. For localized currents and the decaying solution,Here $-\Delta (1/(4\pi |\mathbf{r}|))=\delta$ follows from harmonicity away from zero and the inward flux of the radial derivative through a small sphere, whose magnitude is one. It verifies the vector Poisson solution componentwise. Moreover steady electric charge conservation gives ${\nabla }^{\prime }\cdot \mathbf{j}=0$; integration by parts confirms the stated potential is divergence-free. Taking its curl, using $\nabla |\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }{|}^{-1}=-(\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }{|}^3$, proves the Biot-Savart law:The zero-field condition at infinity selects the magnetic field produced by these currents, excluding an externally imposed homogeneous magnetic field.

At the origin write the source point as $r{\mathbf{e}}_r+z{\mathbf{e}}_z$. Its current is $kr{\mathbf{e}}_{\varphi }$, so the numerator of the Biot-Savart law is $k{r}^2{\mathbf{e}}_z-krz{\mathbf{e}}_r$. The radial term cancels after angular integration. Using $d{V}^{\prime }=rdrd\varphi dz$ givesThe inner integral is $2h/[r^2\sqrt{h^2+r^2}]$, as is verified by differentiating $z/[r^2\sqrt{r^2+z^2}]$. HenceFor $b,h>0$, its magnitude is ${\mu }_0|k|h(\sqrt{h^2+b^2}-h)$; it points along $+z$ for positive azimuthal current $k>0$, and along $-z$ for $k<0$. The limit $h\to \infty$ is ${\mu }_{0}k{b}^2/2$, agreeing with direct integration of the infinitely long cylindrical current distribution.

Let $s=|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }|$ and introduce the magnetic vector potential $\mathbf{A}(\mathbf{r})={\mu }_0(4\pi {)}^{-1}\int \mathbf{J}({\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })/sd{V}^{\prime }$. Differentiation is with respect to $\mathbf{r}$, so $\mathbf{J}({\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })$ is constant under it. HenceTaking the curl through the integral reproduces the Biot-Savart law, proving $\boxed{\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}}$ and the requested representation.

For this question use the normalized magnetic scalar potential $\mathcal{U}$ defined by $\mathbf{B}=({\mu }_0/4\pi )\nabla \mathcal{U}$. The previous question instead includes ${\mu }_0/4\pi$ in its scalar potential; its $U$ equals $({\mu }_0/4\pi )\mathcal{U}$. This normalization change in the paper must be kept separate from the kernel calculation.

Take the radial component of the Geselowitz formula. On the spherical boundary, ${\mathbf{n}}^{\prime }$ is parallel to ${\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }$, andThus the surface-current term contributes no radial magnetic field. The primary Biot-Savart law term gives, along a fixed direction $\hat{\mathbf{r}}$,Choose $\mathcal{U}\to 0$ at infinity. Integrating this equation fixes the full potential along every ray, givingTo express it as a source-position derivative, defineWith $\mathbf{W}=\mathbf{Q}\times {\mathbf{r}}_0$, differentiating the integrand givesso $\mathcal{U}=\mathbf{W}\cdot {\nabla }_{{\mathbf{r}}_0}\varphi$ as required.

Let $b=|{\mathbf{r}}_0|$ and $P=|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}_0|$. An elementary antiderivative gives the spherical current-dipole logarithmic kernelFor $r>a>b$, both logarithm arguments are positive. Its radial derivative is $-1/(rP)$ and its limit at infinity is zero, which verifies the preceding integral. At $b=0$ use the continuous limit $\varphi =1/r$.

For a direct check, differentiating along $\mathbf{W}$ leaves $b$ unchanged and gives $\mathbf{W}\cdot {\nabla }_{{\mathbf{r}}_0}P=-\mathbf{W}\cdot \mathbf{r}/P$. Sinceone obtainsIts gradient is the Sarvas formula. The sphere radius and electrical conductivity disappear from this exterior magnetic result because spherical symmetry removed the radial contribution of the return currents. The original derivation and spherical-conductor assumptions are discussed in Sarvas's paper.

For a thin wire carrying current $I$, the given magnetic vector potential reduces to $\mathbf{A}=({\mu }_{0}I/4\pi ){\oint }_{C}d{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }|$. Taking its curl and using ${\nabla }_{\mathbf{r}}(1/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }|)=-(\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }{|}^3$ gives the Biot-Savart lawThis is exactly the sign convention in the printed form using ${\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }-\mathbf{r}$.

Let $\mathbf{v}=(\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }{|}^3$. Away from the wire, $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{v}=0$. The supplied divergence and curl of a cross product therefore gives $\nabla \times (d{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }\times \mathbf{v})=-(d{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }\cdot {\nabla }_{\mathbf{r}})\mathbf{v}$. But ${\nabla }_{\mathbf{r}}\mathbf{v}=-{\nabla }_{{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }}\mathbf{v}$, so the integrand is the total differential of $\mathbf{v}$ along the source loop. Its closed-loop integral is zero. Thus $\nabla \times \mathbf{B}=0$ at every point outside $C$, as demanded by the current-free magnetostatic Ampère's law.

For $r^{\prime }=f(\theta )>0$, $z^{\prime }=0$, and counterclockwise current, $d{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }=(f^{\prime }{\mathbf{e}}_r+f{\mathbf{e}}_{\theta })d\theta$. At the origin, $\mathbf{v}=-{\mathbf{e}}_r/f^2$, soFor the ellipse expressed relative to a focus, $1/f=(1-e\cos \theta )/\ell$. The cosine integrates to zero, givingHere $\ell$ is the semilatus rectum. Reversing the current reverses the field direction.

The identity divergence of a curl is zero follows by the symmetry of second partial derivatives and antisymmetry of the Levi-Civita symbol. ThereforeIf $\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$ and $\mathbf{A}$ is in Coulomb gauge, the curl of the curl identity gives $\mathbf{J}=-{\nabla }^2\mathbf{A}$. Apply the supplied scalar Poisson equation representation to each component of the decaying vector potential. In the units of this problem the Coulomb-gauge vector potential of a localized steady current isHere one needs $\mathbf{A}=O(|\mathbf{x}{|}^{-1})$, $\nabla \mathbf{A}=O(|\mathbf{x}{|}^{-2})$ and enough localization of $\mathbf{J}$ for the stated representation and differentiations. A smooth compactly supported current density is a sufficient convenient case. The local differential equations and gauge alone do not impose these conditions: $\mathbf{A}=(-y,x,0)$, $\mathbf{B}=(0,0,2)$, $\mathbf{J}=0$ satisfy them but do not satisfy the displayed integral formula. The formula selects the decaying solution, excluding nondecaying homogeneous harmonic functions.

With $\mathbf{r}=\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{y}$, the gradient of the kernel is ${\nabla }_x(1/|\mathbf{r}|)=-\mathbf{r}/|\mathbf{r}{|}^3$. Since $\mathbf{J}(\mathbf{y})$ is independent of $\mathbf{x}$,Thus taking the curl gives the Biot-Savart law in the problem's normalization:Finally, change variables $\mathbf{z}=\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{y}$ in the integral for $\mathbf{A}$. This keeps the singular kernel independent of the differentiation variable:For smooth localized $\mathbf{J}$, differentiation under the integral sign is legitimate: $1/|\mathbf{z}|$ is locally integrable in three dimensions, and on a bounded neighbourhood of $\mathbf{x}$ the translated sources and their derivatives have common compact support. The integral indeed satisfies Coulomb gauge.

For a time-independent current, the Maxwell equations reduce to magnetostatics:Write $\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$ using a vector potential and choose the Coulomb gauge $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{A}=0$. The vector identity for the curl of a curl gives the Poisson equationThe free-space Green function therefore givesTaking the curl with respect to $\mathbf{r}$, moving it under the integral, and using $\nabla (1/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }|)=-(\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }{|}^3$ gives the Biot-Savart law

Take the curl of the integral from part (a). Since $J(r^{\prime })$ is independent of $r$,This is the Biot-Savart law.