The Classical Theory of Fields, Fourth Edition: Volume 2 (Course of Theoretical Physics Series)

The Classical Theory of Fields, Fourth Edition: Volume 2 (Course of Theoretical Physics Series)
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Physics/math study

The work of a master

Overrated for Learning

My comment is not about the content, but about the edition.

Russian School of Physics

The Classical Theory of Fields, Fourth Edition: Volume 2 (Course of Theoretical Physics Series)
E M Lifshitz , and L D Landau
Manufacturer: Butterworth-Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Electrodynamics of Continuous Media, Second Edition: Volume 8 (Course of Theoretical Physics)

ASIN: 0750627689

Book Description

The fourth edition contains seven new sections with chapters on General Relativity, Gravitational Waves and Relativistic Cosmology. The text has been thoroughly revised and additional problems inserted.

The Complete course of Theoretical Physics by Landau and Lifshitz, recognized as two of the world's outstanding physicists, is published in full by Butterworth-Heinemann. It comprises nine volumes, covering all branches of the subject; translations from the Russian are by leading scientists.

Customer Reviews:

Physics/math study.......2007-02-22

This is an absolute necessity for a graduate student! Studying math/physics. One of the very best available. I was very pleased in the condition of the book, and the price made it affordable for me.

The work of a master.......2006-12-26

Landau's approach to Classical Field Theory demonstrates his ability to be clear, concise, and elegant without drowning out the physics with math. I will say, however, that Landau requires a certain maturity to appreciate his style (same goes for Rudin's books of analysis). I would recommend this title to those with a working knowledge of classical E & M, vector/tensor analysis, and of special relativity. It is also wise to work through the author's Theoretical Mechanics to get a taste of their style. I believe, contrary to many, that this book is appropriate for self study if one is willing to do the work (not only the exercises but following along pencil in hand). I suggest reading a passage and then covering it up and then trying to do the derivations by hand. I also suggest the study of Hermann Weyl's Space-Time-Matter for more on GR. My only complaint is the quality of print, which has is not the fault of the authors. It is especially annoying at first.

Overrated for Learning.......2006-12-02

L&L, while elegant, is umotivated in the justifications that start their derivations. If the subject matter is grasped, then L&L is excellent for its directness. In brief, the volume is far from a learning tool.

My comment is not about the content, but about the edition........2006-08-15

First, I love this book, it is superb. If the comment is only on the contents, I'll give 5 stars without any hesitation.

However, one star is taken because I seriously despise the way the publisher treating this book, or, the entire classic Landau series. Some of the letters are vague. All letters are not dark enough, even a xerox copy is darker than this book! Some straight lines are broken.

Why can't the publisher make the classic of Landau be their own classic?

Russian School of Physics.......2006-03-27

I bought this book for a graduate E & M physics class and found it utterly useless. Maybe it would be good for a math class, but even then I doubt it.

A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity: Part I, the Classical Theories/Part Ii, the Modern Theories (History of Modern Physics, 1800-19)

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Fundamental to understand how scientific ideas evolved over time

A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity: Part I, the Classical Theories/Part Ii, the Modern Theories (History of Modern Physics, 1800-19)
E. T. Whittaker
Manufacturer: AIP Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Lie Groups, Lie Algebras, and Some of Their Applications

ASIN: 0883185237

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Fundamental to understand how scientific ideas evolved over time.......2006-12-18

This is a book by E.T. Whittaker, of "A Course of Modern Analysis"-fame (please check it out on Amazon if you have never heard of that classic).
For scientists and engineers, it is fundamental to have a minimum understanding of how scientific ideas evolved over time. Recall the debate over the particle versus wave nature of light, and how the two schools of thought took turns as the mainstream theory until they were reconciled in the beginning of the twentieth century (well, not really: there are some rough edges lingering still). The same happens with the currently out-of-favor theory of ether; after abandoning the idea of ether upon the establishment of the theory of Special Relativity, Einstein himself revisited the concept of ether in a different fashion when developing his broader-scoped General Relativity (he actually developed 3 diverse ether models then; check out "Einstein and the Ether" by Ludwik Kostro for an account of this episode). The history of the ether hypothesis is in fact the history of a number of competing theories, each of which entailing a different set of properties for this elusive would-be medium (substance?). Whether replacing one another or co-existing side by side, these theories were very important for the development of physics as we know it today. In this book Whittaker offers an account of that will prove enjoyable, possibly insightful, to physicists and other scientists in general.

Classical Electricity and Magnetism: Second Edition (Dover Books on Physics)

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The best graduate level text available for Electrodynamics
Emphasizes physical understanding
Panofsky E&M 2nd Edition

Classical Electricity and Magnetism: Second Edition (Dover Books on Physics)
Wolfgang K. H. Panofsky , and Melba Phillips
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Electromagnetism
Introduction to Electromagnetic Theory
The Electromagnetic Field
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Electrodynamics (Chicago Lectures in Physics)

ASIN: 0486439240

Book Description

Compact and precise, this text offers advanced undergraduates and graduate students a diverse selection of topics: the electrostatic field in vacuum; general methods for the solution of potential problems; radiation reaction and covariant formulation of the conservation laws of electrodynamics; and numerous other subjects. 119 figures. 10 tables. 1962 edition.

Customer Reviews:

The best graduate level text available for Electrodynamics.......2007-07-31

I'm so thrilled to see that this book is back in print. It is vastly superior to the standard text (Jackson) used in most graduate physics programs. The explanations are concise but clear; and they help the student develop good physical insight. My only real criticism of this book is that the mathematical notation is a bit unwieldy, but it's used consistently throughout the entire text so that's not really a problem after you get through the first couple of chapters and get used to it. If you could have only one graduate level E & M book, this would be the one to get.

Emphasizes physical understanding.......2007-02-15

I am writing this review to balance the review by the dissatisfied student. Do not believe it. Panofsky and Phillips is one of the great graduate level books on classical electrodynamics. It is comparable in level and quality to Landau and Lifshitz and to Jackson. As the student reveiwer implies it may be a bit less concise and somewhat more talkative than those two, but the explanations given are often profund and can be of great value to the serious, mature, and literate student. This book really belongs to a decent library on electromagnetism.

Panofsky E&M 2nd Edition.......2006-11-03

Book is more about "words" than it is about math. YOu need to have a book like Jackson, or Griffiths to complement this book. To be honest, I hate it and don't use it. I like Jackson better. Makes assumptions with no proof.

Wave Fields in Real Media, Volume 38, Second Edition: Wave Propagation in Anisotropic, Anelastic, Porous and Electromagnetic Media (Handbook of Geophysical ... Exploration: Seismic Exploration)

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Wave Fields in Real Media, Volume 38, Second Edition: Wave Propagation in Anisotropic, Anelastic, Porous and Electromagnetic Media (Handbook of Geophysical ... Exploration: Seismic Exploration)

Manufacturer: Elsevier Science
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0080464084

Book Description

This book examines the differences between an ideal and a real description of wave propagation, where ideal means an elastic (lossless), isotropic and single-phase medium, and real means an anelastic, anisotropic and multi-phase medium. The analysis starts by introducing the relevant stress-strain relation. This relation and the equations of momentum conservation are combined to give the equation of motion. The differential formulation is written in terms of memory variables, and Biot's theory is used to describe wave propagation in porous media. For each rheology, a plane-wave analysis is performed in order to understand the physics of wave propagation. The book contains a review of the main direct numerical methods for solving the equation of motion in the time and space domains. The emphasis is on geophysical applications for seismic exploration, but researchers in the fields of earthquake seismology, rock acoustics, and material science - including many branches of acoustics of fluids and solids - may also find this text useful.

* Presents the fundamentals of wave propagation in anisotropic, anelastic and porus media
* Contains a new chapter on the analogy between acoustic and electromagnetic waves, incorporating the subject of electromagnetic waves
* Emphasizes geophysics, particularly, seismic exploration for hydrocarbon reservoirs, which is essential for exploration and production of oil

Classical Field Theory: Electromagnetism and Gravitation

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If you already own Jackson, Griffiths, and Barut, don't bother
Classical field theory reviewed by a master.
easy

Classical Field Theory: Electromagnetism and Gravitation
Francis E. Low
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Classical Electrodynamics (The Advanced Book Program)
The Classical Theory of Fields, Fourth Edition: Volume 2 (Course of Theoretical Physics Series)

ASIN: 0471595519

Book Description

The author uses a unique approach which emphasizes the field theoretic aspects of gravitation and the strong analogies between gravitation and the other areas that are studied in physics. The theory-centered text begins with the simplest experimental facts then proceeds to the corresponding differential equations, theoretical constructs such as energy, momentum and stress and several applications. End-of-chapter problems provide students with an opportunity to test their understanding, serve as an introduction to and a review of material not included in the book and can be used to develop examples, extensions and generalizations of the material presented.

Customer Reviews:

If you already own Jackson, Griffiths, and Barut, don't bother.......2006-06-02

Difficult to understand, very few examples, and the problems aren't very good at telling you what they are asking for. Maybe good if you already have a decent understanding of E&M, but this is not an appropriate text for a first graduate level class. Use Jackson for most stuff, fill in the gaps of what you missed as an undergraduate with Griffiths, and use Barut for the field theory stuff.

Classical field theory reviewed by a master........2001-12-20

Francis Low is an outstanding theoretical physicist who also happens to have an interest in education. He wrote marvellous lectures on quantum scattering, where the misteries of the so-called Sommerfeld radiation condition were clarified (and derived!) by using wave-packets. His name in science was made mainly by the epoch-making paper, with Gell-Mann, which introduced the now ubiquitous renormalization group. It is noble of him to dedicate some of his time to write his vision of electrodynamics and gravitation, as examples of classical field theory. This is an advanced book, meant to deepen and unify concepts. But Francis Low would'nt stop at that. You'll find fresh views almost at every page, mainly on the electrodynamics part, his turf. Some criticism has been made, by Robert Wald, for instance, about his treatment of gravitation, which is more or less alla Feynman, or alla Schwinger: geometry is discovered. It is not the starting point, like in Einstein. This is also welcome: it puts your mind to work along different tracks. All in all, a great reading.

easy.......2001-01-12

This subject is just too simple!

Classical Electromagnetic Theory (Fundamental Theories of Physics)

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Classical Electromagnetic Theory (Fundamental Theories of Physics)
Jack VanderLinde
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Principles of Quantum Mechanics

ASIN: 1402026994

Book Description

This book is a self contained course in electromagnetic theory suitable for senior physics and electrical engineering students as well as graduate students whose past has not prepared them well for books such as Jackson or Landau and Lifschitz. The text is liberally sprinkled with worked examples illustrating the application of the theory to various physical problems. This new edition features improved accuracy and readability, added and further clarified examples, plus additional sections on Schwarz-Christoffel mappings. Making the book more self sufficient, an appendix on orthogonal function expansions and the derivation of Bessel functions and Legendre polynomials as well as derivation of their generating functions are each included. The number of exercises has also been increased by 45 over the previous edition.

This book stresses the unity of electromagnetic theory with electric and magnetic fields developed in parallel. SI units are used throughout and considerable use is made of tensor notation and the Levi-Cevita symbol. To more closely display the parallelism, extensive use is made of the scalar magnetic potential particularly in dealing with the Laplace and Poisson equation. 85 worked problems illustrate the theory. Conformal mappings are dealt with in some detail. Relevant mathematical material is provided in appendices.

For information regarding Solutions Manual, please contact the author Jack Vanderlinde at: jvd@unb.ca or see "Related Links - Solution Manual".

Electromagnetic Retardation and Theory of Relativity: New Chapters in the Classical Theory of Fields, Second Edition

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Fresh and thought-provoking
Can you find the Error?
Electromagnetism against special relativity
Highly recommended
An outstanding book.

Electromagnetic Retardation and Theory of Relativity: New Chapters in the Classical Theory of Fields, Second Edition
Oleg D. Jefimenko
Manufacturer: Electret Scientific Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Causality, Electromagnetic Induction, and Gravitation: A Different Approach to the Theory of Electromagnetic and Gravitational Fields, 2nd edition
Gravitation and Cogravitation: Developing Newton's Theory of Gravitation to its Physical and Mathematical Conclusion
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A Promenade Along Electrodynamics
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ASIN: 0917406249

Book Description

This book presents a comprehensive exposition of the theory of electromagnetic retardation and offers a significant novel approach to the formulation, development and use of the theory of special relativity. The book is divided into two parts. The first part, Chapters 1 to 5, presents the fundamentals of the theory of electromagnetic retardation with emphasis on recently developed electromagnetic relations and mathematical techniques. Employing as the starting point the retarded electromagnetic field integrals rather than the traditional Lienard-Wiechert potentials and using the newest mathematical methods for operations with retarded integrals, the theory is presented in a clear and logical manner, and the applications of the theory are demonstrated by numerous well-chosen original illustrative examples.

As Professor Jefimenko shows, the theory of electromagnetic retardation leads to, and duplicates, many electromagnetic relations that are customarily considered to constitute consequences of relativistic electrodynamics. Much of the first part of the book is devoted to establishing a bridge between the theory of electromagnetic retardation and the theory of relativity. In the second part of the book, Chapters 6 to 11, all the fundamental equations of the special relativity theory, including equations of relativistic electrodynamics and mechanics, are derived in a natural and direct way from equations of electromagnetic retardation and from electromagnetic force and energy equations without any postulates, conjectures, or hypotheses. As a result, the theory of special relativity acquires a new physical and mathematical base and becomes united with Maxwellian electromagnetism into one simple, clear, and harmonious theory of electromagnetic phenomena and mechanical interactions between rapidly moving bodies. Numerous well-chosen original illustrative examples demonstrate various applications of the relativistic electrodynamics and relativistic mechanics developed in this part of the book.

The new approach to the formulations of the theory of relativity presented in this book makes it necessary to reexamine the conventional interpretation of some of the key aspects of the special relativity theory. One of the most significant results of this reexamination is that, although the idea of Lorentz length contraction played an important part in Einstein's approach to the formulation of the theory of relativity, this idea is not an integral part of the theory of relativity itself. Another equally significant result of this reexamination, based on an analysis of a dozen elementary electromagnetic clocks, is that the rate of the moving clocks depends both on the velocity and on the construction of the clocks, so that although all the clocks examined in the book run slow when in motion, only some clocks conform to Einstein's time-dilation formula; others do not.

Finally, the novel approach to the formulation of the special relativity theory developed in this book leads to the conclusion that gravitational phenomena are subject to essentially the same relativistic relations as are the electromagnetic phenomena. Based on this conclusion, a covariant formulation of Newton-Heaviside's gravitational theory is developed and presented in the last chapter of the book.

An Appendix to the book contains an analysis of the physical nature of electric and magnetic forces and presents a novel interpretation of the "near-action" mechanism of electromagnetic interactions.

Customer Reviews:

Fresh and thought-provoking.......2006-08-25

This is a very nicely written, interesting, and thought provoking book. The author has written extensively over the decades (both published articles and books) on the concept of retardation in electromagnetism -- basically, the idea is just that "information" about the charges/currents that give rise to E&B fields propagates at the speed of light, so that the fields at a given point can be calculated in terms of integrals over the charge/current distributions but using the "retarded time" -- i.e., integrals over all the little bits of charge/current at the locations they were at when they were sending out the "information" that arrives at the field point in question now.

The point of this book is to construct a detailed argument that much or most of what is usually considered "relativity" can be inferred directly from a consistent application of the concept of retardation. This is all very much in the spirit of Lorentz's approach to (what, post-Einstein, came to be called) relativity, and indeed something basically identical to Lorentz's "theorem of corresponding states" plays a central role in Jefimenko's argument. The idea is to explain (so-called) relativistic phenomena (such as moving clocks running slow, etc.) dynamically rather than kinematically. Harvey Brown's recent book ("Physical Relativity") is an excellent additional source for a more philosophical and historical look at this same project. I am sympathetic to this project (and tired of the vitriolic hostility that most physicists show toward it). Indeed, there is some reason to think Einstein himself was sympathetic to it -- he all but confessed as much when he described his own relativity theory as a "principle theory", a category which he contrasted with "constructive theories". (The clearest example, which Einstein uses, is that classical thermodynamics is a principle theory, while Boltzmannian stat mech -- which gives an underlying causal explanation for the principles, viz the 2nd law, which classical thermo simply accepts as an axiomatic principle -- is a constructive theory.) So think of Jefimenko's goal in this book as doing for special relativity what Boltzmann did for classical thermo. This is a completely valid and quite important project that more people should be less dismissive about!

Now, does Jefimenko succeed? Whether he does or not, this is a serious and important work. Instead of really answering my own question, let me simply address some of the dismissive comments of earlier reviewers. One reviewer suggested that Jefimenko stupidly forgot the Lorentz/length contraction in one of the clocks he analyzes in chapter 10, thus getting the "wrong" (slowed) ticking rate for the moving clock. I haven't gone through the math carefully enough to be certain that Jefimenko's calculations for all of these clocks are right, but I know this criticism isn't fair. First off, there are several other clocks in the Chapter which also give "wrong" (non-Einsteinian) ticking rates when in motion, for which the simple "length contraction" fix suggested by the reviewer clearly wouldn't convert the result into the Einsteinian rate. (For some, all the relevant lengths are perpindicular to the direction of motion, so there would be no length contraction.) Plus, this reviewer was apparently spacing out during the earlier chapter where Jefimenko gives an extended and quite fascinating argument that there is no such real effect as length contraction! So it's not that Jefimenko "forgot" to include this effect; he had just proved that there is no such effect to conclude. Now, I grant, it's remotely possible that something is flawed with this earlier proof. But no such flaw was apparent to me. In sum, this particular criticism by the earlier reviewer is not valid.

The other negative reviewer bases his whole criticism on the fact that Jefimenko uses (in the same chapter on the ticking rates of various moving "toy clocks") the ideas of relativistic (specifically, longitudinal and transverse) mass. But this isn't a valid objection. Jefimenko himself makes very clear in an earlier chapter that one probably shouldn't take these concepts too seriously (i.e., as real and distinct properties carried by the particle), but whether one does or doesn't, the laws of motion (the relativistic version of F=ma, if you like) are what they are, and that's all Jefimenko is using in the Clocks chapter. In short, it's the same equations no matter what words (like "transverse mass") you do or don't use to talk about them. So the fact that Jefimenko uses these terms is, at worst, a minor aesthetic flaw -- it is certainly not a valid argument that the computations in that chapter are flawed.

Let me finally state my own reservations and criticisms of the book, which perhaps the author can address in future work. First, the claim that several of these simple toy clocks slow down by something other than the usual relativistic "time dilation" factor, is -- if true -- extremely important. Jefimenko should slow down and establish the truth of this more carefully, and then consider its implications more carefully. For example, the assumption that there are these "frictionless guides" which hold the charges along the appropriate axis (while they "tick" back and forth in the "clock") raises some questions. Isn't this rather similar to the assumption that Jefimenko (in an earlier chapter) so deftly showed to be at the root of confusion over the "right angle lever"? In that paradox, it is precisely leaving such "other" forces off-stage that gives rise to an apparent contradiction. Could it be that the same thing is happening here, and that, if only the physical details of these "frictionless guides" were made more explicit, it would be found that they somehow affect the ticking rate, and perhaps restore the regular Einsteinian "dilation" factor? Also, if some of these different clocks really do tick at different rates when moving, couldn't we use this to determine the state of motion of the ether? Assume some initial frame (call it the ether frame) in which Maxwell's equations are true. Now construct two of the clocks so they tick at the same rate in that frame. Now set them both in motion. Jefimenko argues in the book that they'll tick at different rates (which should be a frame-invariant fact) by an amount that depends on how fast they're moving. So an observer in a spaceship (who didn't know which frame was the initial ether frame) could just look at two such clocks and determine immediately (a) that he is moving and (b) how fast he is moving -- with both of these read: relative to the ether. For this reason, I'm very suspicious of the claims that the different clocks tick at different rates (which is what made me think of the possibility that those "frictionless guides" shouldn't be left so far offstage). The point is, if this claim is right, it appears to give rise to the possibility of an empirical refutation of the principle of relativity. Maybe I've got that wrong, but the author should confront the issue and explain things more clearly instead of just moving on to the next topic.

My other complaint was about the gravity chapter at the end. Probably this shouldn't be here at all. But given that it is here, the author needs to back up some of the speculations with actual calculations. I'm thinking in particular of the speculation that maybe his alternative Maxwell-like theory of gravity could account for the anomalous precession of Mercury. He develops the equations by which the anomalous precession can actually be calculated, but instead of actually calculating it he just says "this is different than the expressions for plain Newtonian gravity which made people eventually reject that theory." Sure, it's different, so "maybe" it'll be consistent with the actual orbit. But that "maybe" is pretty empty. Why not just calculate the darn thing? If people could do it 100 years ago for Newtonian gravity and GR, then he should be able to do it today for his theory pretty easily. If it matches (and can account for other things that are usually considered triumphs for GR, such as the orbital decy rate of binary pulsars) that would be a huge sign that things were settled too quickly 100 years ago and that this theory should be taken quite seriously. More likely, it won't work, and then Jefimenko should just let it go and quit including it as a teaser at the end of books on other topics.

Those reservations aside, I would definitely recommend the book for anyone who wants to really understand electromagnetism and relativity.

Can you find the Error?.......2005-10-11

I had just completed the standard physics undergraduate E&M two semester course when I purchased this book. I had earlier purchased the classic Jeffimenko's textbook "Electricity and Magnetism" as one of my backup books to help me through the course. I found that book to be very useful and realized that Jefimenko's vector analysis (calculus) treatment of the subject was extensive and his tables and derivations of vector equations provided details that were missing or assumed intuitively obvious in the text I was using for my E&M course. (It should be pointed out as well that the so called Jefimenko Equations derived in his original text provide a powerful coordinate free expression for Electric and Magnetic fields in which electromagnetic radiation or propagation is directly manifest in the terms. Feynman provides a similar equation in his Physics Lectures vol II. textbook and also by Heaviside in early days of wireless.) So I was expecting good things from his new book.

The first chapters of his new book, using retardation vector equations, develops the E&M transformation equations and serves to update his original texbook which ended with a chapter on radiation. However, things go wrong starting with chapter 10, "The Rate of Moving Clocks." Here, Jefimenko takes the principle of relativity as developed in the previous chapter and applies them to various "thought experiment" type clocks. These experiments are labeled, clock#1 through clock#12. A given clock number corresponds to a certain simple geometric configuration of fixed charges or fixed charge distribution in a specific moving frame such as a charged ring and a single point charge that is free to oscillate in the field produced by the fixed charges. Example: A negative charge oscillating in a plane perpendicular and equidistant to two positive charges moving parallel to the x-axis. (Because this is a thought experiment, it is assumed that the free charge is constrained by invisible frictionless guides to oscillate in the perpendicular plane so that it cannot be trapped by either of the fixed charges.) For these clocks, the single frictionless oscillating charge is a counter that serves as an accurate time keeping mechanism.

The idea is to figure out how the oscillating charge changes frequency when the whole clock is moving at relativistic speed with respect to a "stationary" observer. The first six clocks defined by Jefimenko are called "Einsteinian Clocks" because they behave exactly as defined by the Special Theory of Relativity and slow down with respect to the observer when traveling at relativistic speeds. Clocks 7 through 12 are called "Non-Einsteinian Clocks" because although they slow down, they do not follow the time dilation factor given by Einstein. Jeffimenko is attempting to used these thought experiments as a way to show that time dilation is not dependent solely on relativistic velocity and that the effect is really explained through an analogy to retardation and is therefore not really a relativistic effect at all (Page 262).

In the text, clock#3 (Einsteinian) is the same as clock#7 (Non-Einsteinian) except that clock#7 is moving in a direction perpendicular to the direction specified for clock#3. At first when I looked at this, Jeffimenko's argument and equations looked correct. However, I noticed that for clock#7 he did not take into effect the Lorentz contraction of the fixed charges in the system. When I made this change I got the same results for time dilation as clock#3 and in perfect agreement with Einstein.

I can see no reason to ignore the Lorentz contraction, so I conclude that this represents a serious flaw in Jefimenko's analysis. However, this book might be worth purchasing for the footnotes and bibliography at the end of each chapter. Jefimenko references many papers written by all the famous players of E&M theory. This provides a cornicopia of information for the person interested in following the early history and development of E&M and also the controversy that surrounded this early development.

Jack

Electromagnetism against special relativity.......2005-09-12

This is a very interesting book on electromagnetism and relativity. As is well-known there is an intimate relation between classical electrodynamics and special relativity. In this book the Author addresses once more this relation. In it we can find several new and correct ideas. The only problem is the following: the correct ideas (namely, the concept of electromagnetic retardation) are not new and the new ideas (namely, on the theory of relativity) are not correct.

In the Preface, the Author writes: "The book is divided into two parts. The first part, Chapters 1 to 5, presents the fundamentals of the theory of electromagnetic retardation with emphasis on recently discovered relations and recently developed mathematical techniques. The second part, Chapters 6 to 11, presents the fundamentals of the theory of relativity based entirely on the theory of electromagnetic retardation developed in the first part." (p. v).

As for the theory of electromagnetic retardation, the Author explains that it "is as yet a fairly obscure concept" and is based on the fact that "electric and magnetic fields propagate with finite velocity. Therefore there always is a time delay before a change in electromagnetic conditions initiated at a point of space can produce an effect at any other point in space. This delay is called electromagnetic retardation." This part is obviously correct but, indeed, this is not new. We already know, from Maxwell and Hertz, that electromagnetic effects (light included) can propagate with a finite velocity. Oleg Jefimenko cannot claim of having discovered it. In his textbook Classical Electrodynamics (New York: Wiley, 3rd ed., 1999), John David Jackson quotes Jefimenko's work in Section 6.5 (pp. 246-248): O. D. Jefimenko, Electricity and Magnetism (Star City, WV: Electret Scientific, 2nd ed., 1989). I recognize the Author's contribution to the understanding of the generalization of the Coulomb and Biot-Savart laws, namely eqs. (6.55) and (6.56) of page 247 (Jackson's textbook). But it is, nevertheless, a localized contribution for electromagnetic theory as a whole.

However, Jefimenko's book has a greater ambition: to derive a new theory of relativity from the concept of electromagnetic retardation. This is, in my opinion, his principal "contribution" to physics which is within Chapter 10 entitled "The Rate of Moving Clocks" (pp. 235-266). Basically, the Author says that "contrary to Einstein's conception, the slowing down of moving clocks is a dynamic rather than a kinematic effect, and the slowing down is not, in general, proportional to gamma" (p. 262). And also that: (i) "our calculations show that the slowing down of the clocks is not really a relativistic effect at all" (p. 262); (ii) "the calculations that we used were based on the laws of classical electromagnetism (...) with no input from relativity theory except for the longitudinal and transverse masses." (pp. 262-263). These are, in my opinion, the original "contributions" from Jefimenko to the theory of relativity. I stress his last statement: except for the longitudinal and transverse masses.

First of all: my main interest in not the history of the theory of relativity and I will not defend Einstein as a religious authority (science is an open structure in the sense that it is permanently open to refutation); my main interest is special relativity as a scientific achievement of humankind and the relation between classical electrodynamics and the theory of relativity. The fact that the mathematics used by Jefimenko is outdated cannot be considered an argument against him: the most important thing to discuss is the physics behind it. However, one should recognize that the outdated physical concepts of transverse and longitudinal masses (pp. 193-196) are misleading and meaningless. Einstein himself (I think, but I am not completely sure about this point) used them. Nowadays, one should not insist in using them as Jefimenko does in his Chapter 10 to show how clocks do not run in accordance with the special theory of relativity (pp. 251-262). They are, from my point of view, void of real physical significance. One should stress that even the concept of relativistic mass is erroneous: there is only one mass, the (proper) mass of a particle that is measured in its rest frame.

Special relativity appeared to solve the opposing viewpoints from Newtonian mechanics and Maxwell electrodynamics. Its main conclusion was that Maxwell electrodynamics was (fundamentally) right and Newtonian mechanics was (fundamentally) wrong. One should not use and manipulate the misleading concepts related with relativistic effects. The best mathematical language that fits modern physics is geometry: classical electrodynamics as well as relativity should be expressed as geometrical theories where invariants (coordinate-free entities) are the fundamental aspects. Frames and coordinates cannot represent the essential physics. We should be interested only in quantities that have intrinsic significance, i.e., that have the same meaning in all coordinate systems. That is why the three-dimensional vector analysis, founded by Gibbs, is inappropriate to study special relativity: it cannot deal with proper physics in (plane) four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime with nondefinite metric. Proper physics deals directly with absolute quantities, not with their shadows (the relativistic effects).

Jefimenko does a good job when he speaks strictly of electromagnetic retardation. However, in my humble opinion, he does a terrible job when he tries to push forward, stretching that theory into a new level for which that theory is not prepared: the four-dimensional world of proper spacetime physics where, quoting Minkowski, "space by itself, and time by itself, are doomed to fade away into mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two will preserve an independent reality."

Highly recommended.......2004-10-02

Many students of electromagnetism are now familiar with general solutions of Maxwell's equations in the form of retarded integrals, first published in Jefimenko's "Electricity and Magnetism" and now known as "Jefimenko's equations" from textbooks by J. D. Jackson, D. J. Griffiths, W. E. V. Rosser, and others. In his "Electromagnetic Retardation and Theory of Relativity", Jefimenko demonstrates the power and versatility of these equations by using them for solving a variety of problems involving time-dependent and moving electromagnetic systems and by using them as the starting point of the special relativity theory.

There is a wealth of new material in this book: novel vector-analytical expressions for mathematical operations with time-dependent electromagnetic fields, alternative forms of retarded integrals for electromagnetic fields and potentials, novel derivations of electromagnetic fields and potentials of moving charge distributions, conversion of retarded integrals to present-time integrals, examples on the use of Lorentz's theorem of corresponding states, novel applications of relativistic transformations, calculations of rates of moving elementary electromagnetic clocks, a discussion of Newton-Heaviside theory of gravitation, a novel interpretation of the physical nature of electromagnetic forces, and examples on the use of the new formulas and equations derived in the book (Example 5-1.2 is particularly important and illuminating).

Some of the material in the book is controversial, in particular Jefimenko's denial of the existence of kinematic length contraction and his rejection of time dilation independent of the mechanism of moving clocks. Nevertheless, the book is unquestionably a very serious scientific work. The mathematics is rigorous and all conclusions are supported by derivations whose validity appears to be unassailable.

This book is highly recommended to all serious students of electromagnetic theory and special relativity.

An outstanding book........2004-09-01

Jefimenko's systematic and meticulous presentation and elucidation gives the reader a clear understanding of electromagnetic effects in time-dependent and in moving electromagnetic systems. His highly original and thought-provoking development of relativistic electrodynamics and mechanics is, in my opinion, unprecedented in its clarity and depth. The illustrative examples are exceptionally interesting and useful. This is an excellent book either for self-study or as a companion text in classes on electromagnetism and special relativity. It is destined to be a classic.

Introduction to the Classical Theory of Particles and Fields

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Introduction to the Classical Theory of Particles and Fields
Boris Kosyakov
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Random Matrices, Volume 142, Third Edition (Pure and Applied Mathematics)

ASIN: 3540409335

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This volume is intended as a systematic introduction to gauge field theory for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in high energy physics. The discussion is restricted to the classical (non-quantum) theory in Minkowski spacetime. Particular attention has been given to conceptual aspects of field theory, accurate definitions of basic physical notions, and thorough analysis of exact solutions to the equations of motion for interacting systems. Two theories covered by the book in great detail are the Maxwell-Lorentz electrodynamics and Yang-Mills-Wong theory.

Optical Near Fields: Introduction to Classical and Quantum Theories of Electromagnetic Phenomena at the Nanoscale (Advanced Texts in Physics)

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Optical Near Fields: Introduction to Classical and Quantum Theories of Electromagnetic Phenomena at the Nanoscale (Advanced Texts in Physics)
M. Ohtsu , and K. Kobayashi
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ASIN: 354040483X

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Using the thin film of light, the optical near field, that is localized on the surface of a nanometric material has removed the diffraction limit as a barrier to imaging on the nano- and atomic scales. But a paradigm shift in the concepts of optics and optical technology is required to understand the instrinsic nature of the near fields and how best to exploit them. Professors Ohstu and Kobayashi crafted Optical Near Fields on the basis of their hypothesis that the full potential for utilizing optical near fields can be realized only with novel nanometric processing, functions, and manipulation, i.e., by controlling the intrinsic interaction between nanometer-sized optical near fields and material systems, and further, atoms. The book presents physically intuitive concepts and theories for students, engineers, and scientists engaged in research in nanophotonics and atom photonics.

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Classical Electromagnetic Theory
Jerry Marion
Manufacturer: Academic Press
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