Biot-Savart law Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Charge continuity equation 2026-10-07
The local form of conservation of electric charge relates charge density to current density. Taking the divergence of the Ampère-Maxwell equation and substituting Gauss's law proves the equation, using that the divergence of a curl is zero.
Electrical conductivity 2026-10-06
Electrical electrical conductivity relates current density to the local electric field in the rest frame of an isotropic ohmic medium: . It is a bulk material coefficient, distinct from a sheet surface electrical conductivity. A moving conductor instead uses the moving-conductor Ohm law.
Four-current 2026-10-06
The four-current combines charge density and current density into the four-vector . With , its four-divergence vanishes by the charge continuity equation: . It is the source in the covariant Maxwell equations.
Ohmic conductor 2026-10-07
A material whose current density is proportional to its electric field, with proportionality given by its electrical conductivity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ii Paper 4 35C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ia Paper 3 11C c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The identity divergence of a curl is zero follows by the symmetry of second partial derivatives and antisymmetry of the Levi-Civita symbol. ThereforeIf and is in Coulomb gauge, the curl of the curl identity gives . 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 , and enough localization of 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: , , satisfy them but do not satisfy the displayed integral formula. The formula selects the decaying solution, excluding nondecaying homogeneous harmonic functions.
With , the gradient of the kernel is . Since is independent of ,Thus taking the curl gives the Biot-Savart law in the problem's normalization:Finally, change variables in the integral for . This keeps the singular kernel independent of the differentiation variable:For smooth localized , differentiation under the integral sign is legitimate: is locally integrable in three dimensions, and on a bounded neighbourhood of the translated sources and their derivatives have common compact support. The integral indeed satisfies Coulomb gauge.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 2 6D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
In SI units the Ampère-Maxwell equation is . Since , the displacement-current term vanishes and . Apply Stokes theorem to an oriented surface with positively oriented boundary :Hence the integral form of Ampère's law isHere is vacuum magnetic permeability, is current density, and positive enclosed electric current is defined by the orientation of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 318 1 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the fully developed flow branch of Hartmann flow. Translation invariance along the walls makes the velocity and induced magnetic field functions of alone. Incompressible flow and zero normal velocity at the walls give and hence . The zero divergence of the magnetic field makes constant, equal to the imposed . There is no forcing in ; the homogeneous -components obey the same coupled viscous-resistive equations as the -components, with zero boundary data. Multiplying them by and , integrating by parts and adding givesThus , establishing the asserted forms on this fully developed flow branch. This is a symmetry reduction of the steady channel model, rather than a claim that every possible flow in a channel is translation invariant.
The current density and Lorentz force density areThe advective acceleration vanishes because acts on fields independent of . The -component of the magnetohydrodynamic momentum equation therefore givesThe -component must also balance: it requires . Hence a compatible pressure is ; the specified streamwise pressure gradient does not require the ordinary pressure to be uniform in . This accounts for the magnetic pressure of the induced field.
The resistive induction equation with constant magnetic diffusivity gives . Since , its curl has -component . Steadiness consequently givesFinally the no-slip boundary condition gives , and the normal magnetic field boundary condition gives . The coupled equations and all wall conditions follow directly from momentum balance and magnetic induction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ib Paper 2 6A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
The free-space Green function of the Laplacian for the Poisson equation gives the electric potentialFor , its electric multipole expansion begins withDefine the total electric charge and electric dipole moment byThen
The analogous solution for the magnetic vector potential isIts apparent coefficient is . For each component, the supplied identity and the divergence-free vector field condition giveThe divergence theorem turns this into a surface integral outside the compact support of the current density, where . Hence , so the term vanishes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ib Paper 3 15D a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The magnetic field is . The magnetostatic Ampère-Maxwell equation is , so the curl of the curl identity givesA gauge transformation does not change . We may therefore choose the Coulomb gauge by solving the Poisson equation . It follows component by component in a Cartesian coordinate system thatThe free-space Green function of the Laplacian then givesFor a localized steady current density, conservation of electric charge gives ; integration by parts confirms directly that this integral has zero divergence and hence obeys the Coulomb gauge.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 314 1 b i Solution 2026-09-28
For the aligned magnetic dipole field,Since ,The corotation velocity is . The current density is therefore the advected charge density,
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 3 36A c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For a point charge, the charge density and current density areInsert these into the retarded electromagnetic potential. The argument of the Dirac delta function depends on throughAt its unique zero , the Jacobian determinant contributes the factorSince the source is subluminal, this quantity is positive. Writing , , and evaluating at gives the Lienard-Wiechert potentialsThe identity equivalently gives .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 314 1 a Solution 2026-09-25
In a magnetostatic equilibrium, inertia is absent and all forces balance. A force-free magnetic field is the limiting case in which the Lorentz force density vanishes:Thus the current density is parallel to the magnetic field, so for some scalar force-free parameter ,Using Ampère's law in magnetostatics givesTaking the divergence and using both the divergence of a curl is zero and yieldssoThe force-free parameter is therefore constant along every magnetic field line.
Surface current density Created 2026-09-25 Updated 2026-10-06
A surface current density is electric current per unit transverse length confined to a surface. Integrating a thin layer's current density through its thickness gives .
For an ideal incompressible flow rotating about the axis of the field , use cylindrical Fourier modes . The azimuthal derivative of a cylindrical vector Fourier mode reduces induction to . If the boundary eigenproblem gives , with real , eliminating the perturbation gives the displayed dispersion relation. Here for SI current density; the formula is conditional on that boundary eigenrelation.