Changing electric field and refractive index

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on the relationship between the refractive index, dielectric constant, and electric field strength in the context of sky wave propagation and the ionosphere. The expression provided relates to the refractive index of plasma, derived using the Drude model, which describes the motion of free electrons under an electric field. As the number density of electrons increases, the refractive index decreases, affecting the critical angle for wave reflection. The derivation involves solving the equation of motion for free electrons influenced by an electric field and accounting for damping forces. Understanding these concepts is crucial for grasping wave behavior in the ionosphere.
AdityaDev
Messages
527
Reaction score
33
I am learning sky wave propagation and in my book, a relation between refractive index, dielectric constant and electro field strength is given.
\mu=\mu_0\sqrt{1-\frac{Ne^2}{\epsilon_0m\omega^2}}
Is this a form of Kerr opto-electric effect? How do you get this expression? If you think I cannot understand the derivation, can you explain its meaning?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What is ## \mu ## in that expression?
 
Refractive index
 
AdityaDev said:
I am learning sky wave propagation and in my book, a relation between refractive index, dielectric constant and electro field strength is given.
\mu=\mu_0\sqrt{1-\frac{Ne^2}{\epsilon_0m\omega^2}}
Is this a form of Kerr opto-electric effect? How do you get this expression? If you think I cannot understand the derivation, can you explain its meaning?
That looks like the refractive index for a plasma, where the plasma frequency is given by ##\omega_p^2=\frac{Ne^2}{\epsilon_0 m}##. In the context of the atmosphere, this would be referring to the ionosphere.
 
Yes it is refractive index of plasma, derived using Drude model for free electrons motion.
 
Vagn said:
That looks like the refractive index for a plasma, where the plasma frequency is given by ##\omega_p^2=\frac{Ne^2}{\epsilon_0 m}##. In the context of the atmosphere, this would be referring to the ionosphere.
Yes. It is for ionosphere. Its about reflection of waves from ionosphere. As N the number density of electrons increase, the value of ##\mu## decreases hence the critical angle increases.
I am studying in 12th standard. I know single variable variable integration and I know how to solve linear first order differential equations. Can you explain the relation between mu and Eletric field?
 
blue_leaf77 said:
Yes it is refractive index of plasma, derived using Drude model for free electrons motion.
Drude model explains the drift of electrons in a coductor when an electric field is applied right?
 
There's a few different approaches to the derivation. The most straight-forward, in my opinion, is to start by solving the equation of motion of a free electron under the influence of some incident plane-wave. This will allow you to calculate the polarization of the free electron gas and then find the dielectric function and then the refractive index.
 
Agree with DelcrossA.
 
  • #10
blue_leaf77 said:
Agree with DelcrossA.
Can you explain Its basics?
 
  • #11
Start with assuming an electron subjected to an electric field, in addition imagine there is also damping force experienced by the moving electron. As for this damping force, people commonly model it as being proportional to electron's velocity. Put all these forces into Newton's equation of motion.
 
  • Like
Likes AdityaDev
Back
Top