Introduction to Electrodynamics and Radiation (eBook)

Introduction to Electrodynamics and Radiation

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Introduction to Electrodynamics and Radiation introduces the reader to electrodynamics and radiation, with emphasis on the microscopic theory of electricity and magnetism. Nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics (QED) is presented as a logical outgrowth of the classical theory, both relativistic and nonrelativistic. The advanced mathematical and diagrammatic techniques of the relativistic quantum field theory are also described in a simple and easily understood manner. Comprised of 16 chapters, this book opens with an overview of the special theory of relativity and some of its consequences. The following chapters deal with classical relativistic electrodynamics, touching on topics such as tensor analysis and Riemannian spaces; radiation from charged particles; radiation scattering from electrons; and the classical theory of charged particles. The second part of the book is entirely quantum mechanical in outlook, beginning with the quantization of the Hamiltonian formulation of classical electrodynamics. The many-body formalism leading to Fock-space techniques is also considered, along with self-energies and renormalization. The final chapter is devoted to the covariant formulation of QED as well as the validity of QED. This monograph is written primarily for graduate students in elementary classical and quantum mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics courses.