Infinitely long wire carrying current

In summary, the conversation discusses the calculation of charge density and drift velocity for a conducting wire of infinite length and internal radius "a" carrying a current I in a reference frame K'. The E and B fields are calculated from the viewpoint of an observer in K', which allows for the calculation of the charge density and drift velocity. The use of 4-vectors and Lorentz transformation is suggested as a more direct method for calculating the drift velocity.
  • #1
fluidistic
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Homework Statement


With respect to a frame of reference K, a conducting wire of infinite length and internal radius "a" carries a current I -due to a flow of electrons- and has no charge density. An observer in a reference frame K' is moving parallely with respect to the wire. From the viewpoint of that observer (in K'), calculate the charge density and the drift velocity of the electrons.

Homework Equations


Fields transformation formulae, E and B fields due to an infinite line of charge and infinite wire with current.

The Attempt at a Solution


From the point of view of the observer in K, the E field is worth 0 everywhere (since no charge density), and there's a magnetic field worth ##\vec B =\frac{\mu_0I}{2\rho}\hat \theta## where I used cylindrical coordinates, ##\rho## is the distance from the surface of the wire to a point ouside of the wire. Inside of the wire the B field vanishes since it's a perfect conductor. Let ##\vec v=v_0 \hat z## be the velocity of K' with respect to K.
Now, for the observer in K', there are both an E' and B' fields. I get that ##\vec E'=\gamma v_0 \frac{\mu_0 I}{2\rho}\hat \rho## and ##\vec B'=\gamma \vec B = \gamma \frac{I\mu_0}{2\rho}\hat \theta##. The E' field allows me to calculate ##\lambda'##, the charge density the observer can see or feel. Since for an infinite wire, ##\vec E=\frac{\lambda}{2\pi \rho}\hat \rho##, I get that ##\lambda ' =\gamma \pi v_0 I \mu_0##. Looks ok to me, when v_0 tends to 0, I get lambda' tends to 0 which is expected since the observer in K has lambda=0.

Now to get the drift velocity of the electrons, I use the fact that ##\vec J =\lambda' \vec v_{\text{drift}}##. This is where I'm having a doubt, is ##\vec J = i \hat z##? Or should I express \vec J in terms of a Dirac delta in cylindrical coordinates like so?: ##\vec J=i\frac{\delta(\rho -a)}{2\pi a^2}\hat z## If I use the former, I reach that ##\vec v_{\text{drift}}=\frac{1}{\gamma\pi v_0\mu_0}\hat z## but this doesn't seem to have units of speed.
Now maybe it's due to the units, when I got the E' field due to lambda' I may have forgotten a factor of ##\varepsilon _0## that I should get for both ##\lambda '## and the drift velocity.
And since c²=sqrt(mu_0 epsilon_0) I'd reach ##\vec v_{\text{drift}}=\frac{c^2}{\gamma\pi v_0} \hat z## which seems to have units of speed, but this speed seems gigantic to me, maybe even greater than c... What am I doing wrong?
 
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  • #2
You are taking a long way around by trying to go via the fields. The current density is a 4-vector and you can Lorentz transform it directly.
 
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  • #3
Orodruin said:
You are taking a long way around by trying to go via the fields. The current density is a 4-vector and you can Lorentz transform it directly.
Thanks for the help.
I have that ##J^\alpha =\rho _0 \sqrt {1-v_0^2/c^2}U^\alpha## where ##U^\alpha## is the four-velocity worth ##(ct, 0,0,v_0)## in my case. Is that what you meant by Lorentz transformation of J?
Also, how does this help me to get the drift velocity?

Edit: I see, with the Lorentz transformation under a 4x4 matrix I could get ##J'^\alpha## knowing ##J^\alpha##. But then, I'm still not sure how to proceed further in order to get the drift velocity.
 
Last edited:

What is an infinitely long wire carrying current?

An infinitely long wire carrying current is a theoretical concept in physics and electrical engineering. It refers to a wire that extends to infinity in both directions and carries a constant flow of electric current.

How does an infinitely long wire carrying current work?

An infinitely long wire carrying current works by creating a magnetic field around the wire as the electric current flows through it. This magnetic field follows the right-hand rule, where the direction of the magnetic field is perpendicular to both the direction of the current and the direction of the wire.

What is the significance of an infinitely long wire carrying current?

The concept of an infinitely long wire carrying current is significant in understanding the behavior of magnetic fields and their relationship with electric currents. It is also used in mathematical models to simplify calculations and solve problems related to electromagnetism.

Can an infinitely long wire carrying current exist in reality?

No, an infinitely long wire carrying current is a theoretical concept and cannot exist in reality. In reality, wires have finite lengths and the current flowing through them eventually dissipates due to factors such as resistance and external forces.

What are some practical applications of the concept of an infinitely long wire carrying current?

The concept of an infinitely long wire carrying current has practical applications in various fields, including electromagnetism, telecommunications, and power transmission. It is used to understand and design devices such as electromagnets, antennas, and transformers.

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