UG Sem 4 Course (PHS 2202) on Electrodynamics

SPS, IACS Kolkata, 6 January - 17 April 2020

Lecture Summary 06032020

1 Operators and their inverse

1.1 Inhomogeneous Wave equation
The Maxwell equations with sources in relativistically covariant form can be written as
3
X Jb
∂a F ab = (1)
a=0
0 c2

P3 field strength Fab = ∂a Ab −∂a Ab . We also know that Fab can be broken up into components
where the electromagnetic
{F0β = Eβ /c , Fαβ = γ=1 αβγ Bγ }.
~ , B
Ex. 1 Show that these equations do indeed reduce to the pair of Maxwell equations for E ~ which involve charge and current
P3 αβ
sources. Hint: For this, note that the equation for b = β involves the sum α=1 ∂α F and other terms. Now, F αβ = Fαβ ,
but since this term is derived from 4-dimensions, the sum over α is always over ‘up-down’ indices, so that the above sum can
be rewritten α ∂ α Fαβ = − α ∂α Fαβ . The minus sign in the last expression is crucial to get the terms correctly.
P P

It is obvious that eqn (1) can be written in terms of the 4-potential A,

3
X Ja
 2 Aa − ∂ a ∂b Ab =
0 c2
b=0
X Ja
2 Pba Ab = (2)
0 c2
b

where, the matrix operator Pba ≡ δba − ∂ a (2 )−1 ∂b ; here, we restrict our attention to solutions of the inhomogeneous
wave equation; solutions of the homogeneous wave equation would be considered later separately.
Ex. 2 Show that b Pba ∂ b f (x) = 0, where, f is an arbitrary scalar field (function). In other words, the matrix operator Pba
P

has a zero eigenvalue eigenvector ∂ b f for any function f , and is therefore not invertible. This ambiguity is precisely the gauge
ambiguity inherent in solutions of eqn(2), since for every solution Aa we can generate an infinite number of (‘gauge-equivalent’)
solutions by means of the gauge transformation Aa → A0a = Aa + ∂a f .
Ex. 3 Show that Pba is a projection operator, i.e., b Pba Pcb = Pca .
P

The two exercises above make it clear that eqn(2) cannot be solved
P for the full 4-vector potential Aa . However,
a a b
this equation also reveals that the projected vector potential AT = b Pb A does not have this ambiguity, since it
satisfies
Ja
2 AaT = (3)
0 c2
X
∂a AaT = 0 (4)
a

Ex. 4 Establish eqn (4).

Ex. 5 If we make the gauge transformation Aa → A0a = Aa + ∂a f , show, using the definition of AaT that AaT is gauge-invariant.
Ex. 6 The definition of AaT implies that Aa = AT a + ∂a a(x) where, a(x) = a (2 )−1 ∂a Aa . Using this decomposition, show
P

that Fab (A) = Fab (AT ), i.e., the electromagnetic field strengths are quite independent of a(x) which is therefore unphysical.
Thus, even though the 4-vector potential was introduced, not all four components of this vector potential are physical, only the
transverse part AaT satisfying the transversality constraint (4) are physical.
Ex. 7 Can you use eqn.s (3),(4) to derive the Equation of Continuity for the source J ?

1
1.2 Homogeneous Wave Equation
For source 4-current density J = 0, we have
3
X
 2 Aa − ∂ a ∂b Ab = 0 (5)
b=0

To solve this equation, we take the trial solution A = Re[Ā exp ik  x] without specifying what type of sptm vector k
is - whether timelike, spacelike or lightlike. Substituting this trial solution in eqn (5), we can consider separately the
cases k 2 6= 0 and k 2 = 0. In general, we get, from (5)

k 2 Aa − k a k b Ab = 0 (6)

If k 2 6= 0, it is clear that AaT = 0 which implies Fab = 0 which is physically unacceptable. Hence, for vanishing sources,
we must have k 2 = 0. But in that case it follows from (6) that kA = 0. But 4-dim sptm has two linearly independent
lightlike directions along which we have placed coordinates x± . These directions can be equivalently defined in terms
of two linearly independent lightlike 4-vectors k± which can be always made to satisfy k(+)  k(−) = 1.
Thus, we have the transversality constraints resulting straight from the homogeneous Maxwell equations with our
trial solution

k(+)  A = 0 = k(−)  A (7)

We can relax the criterion inherent in our rather simple trial solution by noting that if we define a transverse
X
AaT = Pba Ab
b
Pba = δba − k(+)
a a
k(−)b − k(+)b k(−) (8)

then clearly AaT satisfies (5) with appropriate transversality constraints k(±)  AT = 0 which restrict its components
along the lightlike directions to vanish, leaving only its two transverse spacelike components AaT = (0, 0, A~ T ) as the
two physical components.
Ex. 8 Show that Pba defined in (8) is indeed a projection operator.