Displacement current in Maxwell equations

In summary, the conversation discusses how to prove that displacement current in the Maxwell equations can be neglected if the characteristic time of the changing electromagnetic field in the system is much larger than the characteristic size of the system divided by the speed of light. The hint provided suggests using approximations for time and spatial derivatives. The conversation also mentions the use of the current density and the relation between B and E. The goal is to show that instead of differentiating to time, one can simply divide by time, but the role of the speed of light in this proof is not clear.
  • #1
snyski
2
0
Does anyone know how to solve or at least how to begin solving the following problem?:

Prove that displacement current in the Maxwell equations can be neglected if characteristic time τ of changing electromagnetic field in the system satisfies to the following condition: τ >> L/c where L is the characteristic size of this system and c is light speed. (Hint: time derivative of some variable y can be approximated as ratio of its characteristic value to characteristic time, dy/dτ ≈ y/τ the similar approximation can be also used for spatial derivatives).
 
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  • #2
Can you write down the relevant Maxwell equation, then change all derivatives in length and time to simple division by their charactersitic values?
 
  • #3
I believe I can use the following relation:
img981.png



Defining the current density of J as the displacement current, by differentiating D with respect to time
ab93b5aac5ffa87badaa48f32c50715a.png



(dD/dt)We get:
8df256232f07aa711d287438280647be.png



With B and E being defined as:
57619c6a86c79e56ac806faf21502c90.png

9cab6787646062d6e658cd1e83ad468f.png



So instead of differentiating to time I can now simply divide by time? However, I don't quite see where light speed comes in and how I could prove the displacement current actually being neglectable.
 
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1. What is displacement current in Maxwell equations?

Displacement current is a term in Maxwell's equations that accounts for the changing electric field in a region. It is represented by the symbol ∂D/∂t and is an important factor in understanding the behavior of electromagnetic waves.

2. How is displacement current related to conduction current?

Displacement current and conduction current are two components of total electric current. While conduction current is caused by the movement of charges through a material, displacement current is caused by the changing electric field in a region. They are related through Maxwell's equations, which describe the relationship between electric fields, magnetic fields, and currents.

3. Why is displacement current important?

Displacement current is important because it helps explain the behavior of electromagnetic waves and how they propagate through space. It also plays a crucial role in the development of technologies such as radio, television, and wireless communication.

4. How was displacement current first discovered?

Displacement current was first predicted by James Clerk Maxwell in 1865 as he was developing his equations for electromagnetism. It was later confirmed experimentally by Heinrich Hertz in 1887 through his famous experiments on the generation and detection of electromagnetic waves.

5. In what applications is displacement current used?

Displacement current is used in various applications such as wireless communication, radar technology, and medical imaging. It is also important in the design and development of electronic devices and circuits, as well as in the field of optics and photonics.

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