Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2018 / Paper 2 / 6

Split the Cartesian second-rank tensor into symmetric and antisymmetric parts:Define $u_k=\frac{1}{2}{ϵ}_{kij}{T}_{ij}$. The symmetric part contributes zero to this contraction. The epsilon-delta identity then givesThereforeThe symmetric part and the three independent antisymmetric components determine these quantities uniquely. Under proper rotations $u$ is a vector; under reflections it is an axial vector.

Apply the symmetric gradient and curl decomposition separately to the electric field and the magnetic field:The corresponding axial parts areThe second equalities use the vacuum Maxwell equations. Their divergence constraints also show that both symmetric gradient tensors are traceless.

Differentiate ${\mathbf{u}}^E=\frac{1}{2}\nabla \times \mathbf{E}$ with respect to time. The vacuum Maxwell equations give ${\partial }_t\mathbf{E}=c^2\nabla \times \mathbf{B}$, soThe curl of the curl identity is $\nabla \times (\nabla \times \mathbf{B})=\nabla (\nabla \cdot \mathbf{B})-{\nabla }^2\mathbf{B}$. Since $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{B}=0$,

The same Maxwell equations givewhere the last equality uses $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{E}=0$. Combining with part (ii),The divergences of the symmetric gradients satisfyThus the local identity is ${\partial }_t(u_i^E+u_i^B)={\partial }_j(S_{ij}^E-c^2{S}_{ij}^B)$. Integrate over the fixed volume and apply the divergence theorem componentwise:Here $d{A}_j=n_{j}dA$ uses the outward normal vector.

The divergence of a cross product identity and the vacuum Maxwell equations implyThe divergence theorem therefore gives the required balance withAn additive time-independent constant in $\lambda$ is immaterial. This is the vacuum Poynting theorem in the normalization of the given equations: equivalently ${\partial }_t\lambda +\nabla \cdot (\mathbf{E}\times \mathbf{B})=0$. The order of the cross product accounts for the plus sign in the stated integral identity.