Undergrad Coleman Lecture: Varying E-M Lagrangian - Problem 3.1 Explained

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pnin
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Lagrangian
Click For Summary
The discussion focuses on Problem 3.1 from the Coleman Lectures on Relativity, specifically the derivation of the second equation using integration by parts. The simplification of the Lagrangian variation is presented, showing that the variation can be expressed in terms of the field strength tensor, F. By applying partial integration, the integral of the variation leads to the free Maxwell equations. The key takeaway is that this process confirms the relationship between the potential A and the field strength F, ultimately demonstrating that the divergence of F vanishes. This analysis clarifies the connection between the Lagrangian formulation and the resulting equations of motion in electromagnetism.
Pnin
Messages
20
Reaction score
1
Screenshot 2022-04-15 at 11.28.35.png


This is from Coleman Lectures on Relativity, p.63. I understand that he uses integration by parts, but just can't see how he gets to the second equation. (In problem 3.1 he suggest to take a particular entry in 3.1 to make that more obvious, but that does not help me.)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You can simplify the task a bit by writing
$$\delta \mathcal{L}=-\frac{1}{4} \delta (F_{\mu \nu} F^{\mu \nu}) = -\frac{1}{2} \delta F_{\mu \nu} F^{\mu \nu}=-\delta (\partial_{\mu} A_{\nu}) F^{\mu \nu}.$$
Then you have, indeed via partial integration)
$$\delta I = -\int \mathrm{d}^4 x \partial_{\mu} \delta A_{\nu} F^{\mu \nu} = + \int \mathrm{d}^4 x \delta A_{\nu} \partial_{\mu} F^{\mu \nu} \stackrel{!}{=}0,$$
and from this you get the free Maxwell equations
$$\partial_{\mu} F^{\mu \nu}=0, \quad F_{\mu \nu}=\partial_{\mu} A_{\nu} -\partial_{\nu} A_{\mu}$$
for the potential.
 
Topic about reference frames, center of rotation, postion of origin etc Comoving ref. frame is frame that is attached to moving object, does that mean, in that frame translation and rotation of object is zero, because origin and axes(x,y,z) are fixed to object? Is it same if you place origin of frame at object center of mass or at object tail? What type of comoving frame exist? What is lab frame? If we talk about center of rotation do we always need to specified from what frame we observe?

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Replies
16
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
562
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
4K