Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction is equivelant to Ampere's Law?

In summary, Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction is equivalent to Biot-Savart Law under the assumption of stationary fields and neglecting medium effects. This is due to the fact that the magnetic field is a pure solenoidal field and can be represented by a vector potential in the Coulomb gauge. The solution for the vector potential can then be obtained using the Green's function of the Laplacian, which leads to the Biot-Savart Law when taking the curl.
  • #1
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Is it true that Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction is equivelant to Biot-Savart Law?
Under what assumptions?
 
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  • #2
Biot-Savart holds for stationary fields, where Maxwell's displacement current doesn't play a role, i.e., you have the two magnetostatic equations (here for simplicity I neglect medium effects, i.e., use the vacuum equations in Heaviside-Lorentz units)

[tex]\vec{\nabla} \times \vec{B}=\frac{\vec{j}}{c}, \quad \vec{\nabla} \cdot \vec{B}=0.[/tex]

From the second equation, which says that there are no magnetic charges, we see that the magnetic field is a pure solenoidal field, i.e., there is a vector potential, [itex]\vec{A}[/itex] such that

[tex]\vec{B}=\vec{\nabla} \times \vec{A}.[/tex]

For a given magnetic field, the vector potential is only determined up to the gradient of a scalar field, and thus we can choose a constraint on the potential. In the so called Coulomb gauge one assumes

[tex]\vec{\nabla} \cdot \vec{A}=0.[/tex]

Plugging now this ansatz into the first equation, which is Ampere's Law, we get (in Cartesian coordinates!)

[tex]\vec{\nabla} \times (\vec{\nabla} \times \vec{A})=\vec{\nabla} (\vec{\nabla}
\cdot \vec{A})-\Delta \vec{A}=-\Delta \vec{A}=\frac{\vec{j}}{c}.[/tex]

Now this looks like the equation of electrostatics for each Cartesian component of the vector potential. From this we get immediately the solution in terms of the Green's function of the Laplacian:

[tex]\vec{A}(\vec{x})=\int_{\mathbb{R}^3} \mathrm{d}^3 \vec{x}' \frac{\vec{j}(\vec{x}')}{4 \pi c |\vec{x}-\vec{x}'|}.[/tex]

Taking the curl of this solution, directly yields the Biot-Savart Law,

[tex]\vec{B}(\vec{x})=\int_{\mathbb{R}^3} \mathrm{d}^3 \vec{x}' \vec{j}(\vec{x}') \times \frac{\vec{x}-\vec{x}'}{4 \pi c |\vec{x}-\vec{x}'|^3} .[/tex]
 
  • #3
Muchas Gracias!
 

1. What is Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction?

Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction is a modification of the original Ampere's Law, which states that the magnetic field around a closed loop is proportional to the current passing through the loop. The correction takes into account the displacement current, which is the change in electric flux through the loop over time. This correction was proposed by James Clerk Maxwell in his electromagnetic theory.

2. How is Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction different from Ampere's Law?

The main difference between Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction and the original Ampere's Law is the inclusion of the displacement current term. This term accounts for the changing electric field in addition to the current, making the law more accurate and consistent with experimental results.

3. Why is Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction important?

Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction is important because it is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that helps us understand the relationship between magnetic fields and electric currents. It is also a crucial component of Maxwell's equations, which are the foundation of classical electromagnetism.

4. How is Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction used in practical applications?

Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction is used in a variety of practical applications, such as in the design of electromagnets and motors. It is also used in the analysis of electromagnetic waves and in the development of technologies such as wireless charging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

5. Is Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction equivalent to Ampere's Law?

Yes, Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction is equivalent to Ampere's Law in the sense that they both describe the relationship between magnetic fields and electric currents. However, Ampere's Law with Maxwell's correction is a more complete and accurate version, taking into account the displacement current term. In most practical applications, the difference between the two is negligible, but it becomes significant in situations involving rapidly changing electric fields.

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