The table below provides the reading assignments for the course. The required readings are taken from the textbook Electromagnetics and Applications by D. H. Staelin. These readings are listed without an abbreviation in the table. The related reading sections for video demonstrations during the course are abbreviated as H/M. The entire contents of H/M can be found in Supplemental Resources > Electromagnetic Fields and Energy.
Staelin, David H. "Electromagnetics and Applications." (Course notes, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, n.d.)
H/M = Haus, Hermann A., and James R. Melcher. Electromagnetic Fields and Energy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1989. ISBN: 9780132490207.
| SES # | TOPICS | READINGS |
|---|---|---|
| I. Maxwell's equations | ||
| R1 | Review of vector and integral calculus; cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical coordinate systems; ej(ωt-kz) complex notation; gradient, curl, and divergence | 1.2-1.5, appendices B, C |
| L1 |
Coulomb-Lorentz force law; Maxwell's equations in integral form; simple electric and magnetic field solutions using Gauss' and Ampere's laws for point, line, and surface charges and currents; superposition; simple cylindrical and spherical source problems Demos: H/M 10.2.1 - Edgerton's Boomer | 1.1, 1.2, 1.5.3 |
| R2 | Simple problems using superposition and integral forms of Gauss' and Ampere's laws with simple spatial distributions of volume charge density and volume current density | |
| L2 | Derive boundary conditions; apply boundary conditions to surface charge and surface current problems | 2.1 |
| R3 | Boundary condition problems, e.g., perfectly conducting sphere or cylinder surrounding point or line charge or line current | |
| L3 |
Divergence and Stokes' theorems; Maxwell's equations in differential form; electroquasistatics and magnetoquasistatics (MQS); potential and the gradient operator Demo: H/M 10.0.1 nonuniqueness of voltage in an MQS system | 1.5, 2.4, 2.5 |
| R4 | Problem solutions using differential form of Maxwell's equations: surface and volume charged or current carrying planar layer, cylinder and sphere | |
| L4 | The electric field, electric scalar potential, and the gradient; Poisson's and Laplace's equations; potential of point charge; Coulomb superposition integral | 2.2 |
| R5 | The electric dipole (potential and electric field); simple problems using the Coulomb superposition integral (line charge, ring of line charge, disk of surface charge) | |
| L5 | Method of images | 2.7 |
| R6 | Method of images problems with planes, cylinders, and spheres | |
| L6 |
Media: dielectric, conducting, and magnetic constitutive laws; charge relaxation Demos: H/M 6.6.1 artificial dielectric; 9.4.1 measurement of B-H characteristic (magnetic hysteresis loop) | 4.1 |
| R7 |
Capacitance, resistance, inductance, and charge relaxation problems in cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical geometries Demo: H/M 7.7.1 relaxation of charge on particle in ohmic conductor (video); Supplement: Kelvin's water dynamos (video) | 7.1-7.4 |
| L7 | Conservation of charge boundary condition; Maxwell capacitor; magnetic dipoles and circuits; reluctance | |
| II. Plane waves | ||
| L8 | Wave equation; Poynting's theorem | 1.3.2, 1.4, 1.6 |
| R8 |
Sinusoidal steady state; normal incidence on a perfect conductor and a dielectric Demo: plane wave movies | 5.1 |
| L9 | Oblique incidence on a perfect conductor; transverse magnetic (TM) waves with oblique incidence on lossless media described by ε and µ; reflection and transmission; transverse electric (TE) waves with oblique incidence on lossless media | 5.3 |
| R9 |
Snell's law: Brewster and critical angles; effects of ohmic loss; skin-depth Demo: laser and prism Brewster's angle, critical angle | 5.3 |
| R10 | Lasers; applications to optics: polarization by reflection; totally reflecting prisms; fiber optics-straight light pipe, bent fiber | 11.3.2 |
| R11 | Lasers; optical devices | |
| III. Transmission lines and waveguides | ||
| L10 |
Parallel plate transmission lines; wave equation; sinusoidal steady state Demo: H/M 13.1.1 visualization of standing waves | 5.2 |
| R12 | Transmission line sinusoidal steady state problems with short circuit, open circuit, and loaded ends; short-line limits as circuit approximations to capacitors and inductors | 5.2 |
| L11 |
Gamma plane; smith chart; voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR); λ/4 transformer Demo: V(z,t), I(z,t) movies | 5.2.4, 10.6.4 |
| R13 | Quiz 1 review | |
| Q1 | Quiz 1 | |
| R14 | Impedance and VSWR problems using the smith chart; single-stub tuner | 5.2.4, 10.6.4 |
| L12 |
Wave equations (lossless); transient waves on transmission lines Demo: H/M 14.4.1 transmission line matching, reflection, and quasistatic charging | 5.2.1, 5.2.2, 9.2 |
| R15 |
Transient wave driven and initial value problems Demo: transient wave movies | 9.2 |
| L13 | Reflections from ends; driven and initial value problems | 5.2.1, 5.2.2, 9.2 |
| R16 |
Waveguide fields; surface charge and current; calculation and sketching of electric and magnetic field lines Demo: show plots of electric and magnetic field lines for various waveguide modes | |
| L14 | Rectangular waveguides; TM and TE modes; cut-off | 5.4.1, 5.4.3 |
| R17 | Cavity resonators; group and phase velocity; dispersion relations; lasers | 5.4.4, 10.7 |
| IV. Fields and forces | ||
| L15 |
Dielectric waveguides Demo: evanescent waves | 5.4.2, 11.3 |
| R18 | Force problems in capacitive and inductive systems | 8.1, 8.3 |
| L16 |
Energy in electric and magnetic fields; principle of virtual work to find electric and magnetic forces; magnetic circuit problems Demo: H/M 11.6.2 force on a dielectric material (video) | 3.2 |
| R19 | Ohm's law for moving media; Faraday's disk (homopolar generator); torque; equivalent circuit | |
| L17 |
Synchronous rotating machines Film: Synchronous Machines | |
| L18 |
Self-excited electric and magnetic machines Demo: H/M 7.7.1 van de Graaff and Kelvin generators (video); self-excited commutator machines | |
| R20 | Quiz 2 review | |
| Q2 | Quiz 2 | |
| R21 | Torque-speed characteristics of rotating machines | |
| V. Antennas and radiation | ||
| L19 | Radiation by charges and currents; setting the gauge; Lorentz gauge; superposition integral solutions for scalar and vector potentials; radiation from a point electric dipole; receiving antenna properties | 6.1.3, 6.2, 6.3 |
| R22 | Electric and magnetic fields from a point electric dipole; far-field solution; radiation resistance; effective dipole length; antenna gain | 6.3 |
| L20 |
2 element array; broad side and end-fire arrays Demo: radiation patterns | 6.4, 10.4.1 |
| R23 |
Element and array factors; N dipole array; beam steering Demo: radiation patterns/computer simulations | 6.4, 10.4 |
| L21 | Transmitting and receiving antennas; wireless and optical communications | 10.1 |
| R24 | Wireless and optical communication problems | |
| VI. Acoustics | ||
| L22 | Acoustic waves | 12.1-12.3 |
| R25 | Acoustic wave boundary value problems | 12.4 |
| L23 | Course review | |