Does a beam of electrons in vacuum at near light speed generate a magnetic field?

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rrosenthal
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An electric current going through a wire generates a magnetic field as per the right hand rule. Will a pencil stream of electrons traveling in a vacuum at near light speed also generate a magnetic field--??----Also, what would a hypothetical observer traveling at the same speed and direction as the electrons see---regarding a magnetic field---?

randall rosenthal
 
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rrosenthal said:
Also, what would a hypothetical observer traveling at the same speed and direction as the electrons see---regarding a magnetic field---??

This is a great question that physics people love to answer! They would not see a magnetic field. They would only see an electric field. Crazy huh? Thats how it works and that is why we often refer to the electromagnetic field as a single entity. How much of the electric part and magnetic part you see depends on how fast you are traveling (your frame of reference).
 
why isn't the electric field affected? And what is the reason for
ModusPwnd said:
This is a great question that physics people love to answer! They would not see a magnetic field. They would only see an electric field. Crazy huh? Thats how it works and that is why we often refer to the electromagnetic field as a single entity. How much of the electric part and magnetic part you see depends on how fast you are traveling (your frame of reference).
 
To ModusPwnd-----thank you for your reply. However is you are stationary to the flow of electrons IN VACUUM, would you then see the magnetic field--?---r rosenthal