Electrodynamics 2 - BMETE15AF48

Informations for semester 2025/26/2

Course description

The course consists of 

 

​The schedule, topics and recommended literature (including lecture notes) are given below.

 

  • Exercise classes: every Tuesday, 12:15-14:00 (F31SEM)
    Instructor: Balázs Hetényi

There are 11 sessions involving problem solving, and 3 sessions in which mini-projects are reported. Mini-projects consist of sources on a given topic assigned for homework, which are reported in a short seminar type presentation. Materials related to the exercise classes are available in the Teams group of the course.

 Course schedule

Written sources are listed after each lecture; for the abbreviations cf. the list of recommended reading below.

  

  • Lecture 1 (16th Feb): Potential theory I. Laplace equation in rectangular domains. Spherical coordinates (​JCE 2.8-2.9 and 3.1; ELN 3.3-3.4​)
  • Lecture 2 (23rd Feb): Potential theory II. Laplace equation with azimuthal symmetry. Edge effect. (​JCE 3.2-3.4; ELN 3.5)
  • Lecture 3 (2nd of Mar): Potential theory III. Spherical harmonics and their addition theorem. Multipole expansion. (​JCE 3.2-3.4; ELN 3.5)
  • Lecture 4 (9th Mar): Surface effects in conductors. General theory of wave guides. (JCE 8.1-8.2)
  • Lecture 5 (16th Mar): TEM, TE and TM modes in wave guides, Energy density and current, phase and group velocities. ​(JCE 8.3-8.4 and 8.5 up to eqn. (8.54); ELN 9.5.1)
  • Lecture 6 (23rd Mar): Resonant cavities. Quality factor, Lorentz resonance curve. (JCE 8.7-8.8; ELN 9.5.2)​​​
  • ​Lecture 7 (30th Mar): Electromagnetic waves in matter, dispersion, plasma frequency, Kramers-Kornig relation. Absorption and conductivity, Drude model. (​JCE 7.5-7.6 and 7.10; ELN 9.3)
  • Lecture 8 (13th Apr): Radiation of localized oscillating sources. Multipole expansion of radiation. ​(JCE 9.1-9.3; ELN 10.2)​
  • Lecture 9 (20th Apr): Scattering of electromagnetic waves. Scattering on inhomogeneities, density fluctuations. ​(JCE 10.1-10.2; ELN 12.1-2)
  • Lecture 10 (27th Apr) Electromagnetic field of a moving charge. Lienard-Wiechert potentials and field strength. Radiated power. (​JCE 14.1 and 14.2; ELN 11.1-3 and 14.5)
  • Lecture 11 (4th May): Radiation field of accelerated charge, angular distribution. Radiated power, relativistic Larmor formula. (​JCE 14.3 and 14.4; ELN 11.4-5)
  • Lecture 12 (11th May): Distribution in frequency spectrum and angle. Cherenkov radiation (​JCE 14.5 and 13.4)​​​
  • Lecture 13 (18th May): Radiation backreaction, the Abraham-Lorentz force (​JCE 16.1-16.3)​​

 

Recommended reading: 

Course requirements

Condition for signature: attending at least 70% of exercise classes + submission of all homeworks with a score of at least 40% + complete a mini-project.

Evaluation:

The whole course is evaluated together with a single mark, given as a combination of the following:  

  • homework: after each of the eleven problem solving classes, the solution of three assigned problems must be submitted. Weight: 30%  
  • mini-project presentation. Weight: 30%
  • ​written test during the last week of the semester on 29th May (Friday) from 8:00 to 10:00 - includes problem solving and theory. Once the written test has been taken, further exams are oral. Weight: 40%
     

The results are combined with the weights given above and marked according to

0-39: fail (1) 40-54: pass (2) 55-69: average (3) 70-84: good (4) 85-100: excellent (5)

During tests and exams, student can use the following mathematical supplement, as well as the summary of calculus in curvilinear coordinates (printed from Wikipedia).