Past exam of the physics 2 paper of the University of Oxford / 2017 resit / 1 / Solution

In a source-free vacuum, the Maxwell equations in SI arewhere ${ϵ}_0$ and ${\mu }_0$ are the vacuum permittivity and vacuum permeability. Take the curl of the last equation, substitute Faraday's law of induction, and use the curl of the curl identity:The zero divergence therefore gives the wave equationFor a propagating plane wave, write $\mathbf{B}=\mathrm{Re}[{\mathbf{B}}_0{e}^{i(\mathbf{k}\cdot \mathbf{r}-\omega t)}]$. The wave equation gives ${\omega }^2=c^2|\mathbf{k}{|}^2$, and Gauss's law for magnetism gives $\mathbf{k}\cdot {\mathbf{B}}_0=0$. Thus the oscillating magnetic field is a transverse wave: it is perpendicular to the propagation wavevector. A static background magnetic field, if present, is separate from this propagating component.