This is an advanced course in electrodynamics. It provides a basic knowledge in the theory of electromagnetic interactions of charged particles. Based on the set of Maxwell's equations for the fields and complemented by relativistically invariant dynamic equations for the particles, the electromagnetic theory lays the foundation of modern physics. Starting from the description of invariant dynamics of charged particles based on the Lorentz transformation, this course proceeds with the analysis of general proprieties of electromagnetic fields in vacuum. Furthermore, it considers the processes of emission of electromagnetic fields by charged particles, in particular, such phenomena as the Bremsstrahlung and cyclotron emission and Thomson scattering. It discusses then propagation of electromagnetic fields in dielectric media and their interaction with particles.
Participation in this course requires the basic knowledge on the level of three year standard university course in physics: electricity and magnetism, classical mechanics and optics, vector and tensor analysis and the theory of integral transformations and partial differential equations.
That course is a part of general framework of the theoretical physics. It also provides a background for advanced courses of plasma physics and non-linear optics, in particular, the chapters related to the plasma wave proprieties, propagation in non-linear waves and wave-particle interaction.
- Enseignant: Emmanuel D'Humieres