EEE6002: Engineering Electromagnetism Fall 2017

Lecture 4: Magnetostatic Fields

Lecturer: Kasun Hemachandra Scribes:

Note: LaTeX template courtesy of UC Berkeley EECS dept.

Disclaimer: These notes have not been subjected to the usual scrutiny reserved for formal publications.
They may be distributed outside this class only with the permission of the Instructor.

4.1 Definition and properties of B

When a current travels in a conductor a magnetic field is created. This magnetic field is perpendicular to
the plane containing the conductor and the position vector of the point at which we measure the magnetic
field as shown in Figure 4.1.

Figure 4.1: Direction of the magnetic field

The Magnetic field intensity can be calculated using the Biot-Savart Law. The integral form of it is given
below.

˛
IdL × aR
H= (4.1)
4πR2

aR is the direction of the position vector. I is the magnitude of the time invariant current. aR is the direction
vector.
For current flows in sheets with vanishingly small thicknesses, we can define the surface current density as
K. Similarly, the Biot-Savart law can be modified to accommodate current density J. These alternative
forms are given below.

ˆ
K × aR dS
H= (4.2)
S 4πR2

4-1
4-2 Lecture 4: Magnetostatic Fields

ˆ
J × aR dv
H= (4.3)
vol 4πR2

The magnetic flux density B in free space for a known magnetic field intensity can be calculated using the
equation below.

B = µ0 H , (4.4)

where µ0 is the permiability of free space having value 4π × 10−7 H/m.

4.2 Ampere’s law

Ampere’s law states that the line integral of H about any closed path is exactly equal to the direct current
enclosed by that path.

˛
H · dL = I (4.5)

4.2.1 Conductor filament

The total field around a closed path of radius ρ of an infinitely long conductor filament is given by:

I
H= aφ (4.6)
2πρ

As one can see the z-component and the ρ-component of the magnetic field intensity is zero.

4.2.2 Co-axial cable

Figure 4.2: Co-axial cable dimensions

If we have a coaxial cable having the dimensions given in the figure, the field intensity is given by:
Lecture 4: Magnetostatic Fields 4-3

 I

 2πρ (a < ρ < b)




 Iρ


 2πa2 (ρ < a)
Hφ = (4.7)



 0 (ρ > c)



c2 −ρ2

 I

(b < ρ < c)
2πρ c2 −b2

4.2.3 Uniform sheet of surface current

Assume a sheet of uniform current density K = Ky ay as shown in the figure below.

Figure 4.3: Uniform sheet of charge

Here, the Magnetic field will only be in the direction of ax . The magnitude of it will be as given below.

1

Hx = 2 Ky z>0
(4.8)
− 12 Ky z<0

4.2.4 The point form of the Ampere’s circuital law

The curl of the magnetic field intensity gives the current density.

∇×H=J (4.9)

4.3 Maxwell’s four equations

The four Maxwell’s equations applicable to the static electric fields and steady magnetic fields are given
below:
4-4 Lecture 4: Magnetostatic Fields

∇·D = ρv (4.10)
∇×E = 0 (4.11)
∇×H = J (4.12)
∇·B = 0 (4.13)
(4.14)

4.4 Magnetic vector potential

If H is to be defined as the gradient of a scalar magnetic potential then the current density J should be zero.
This is because of the below mentioned fact:

∇×H = J
= ∇ × (−∇Vm ) (4.15)
= 0

The units of Vm is Ampere’s and it is defined as the scalar magnetic potential.

The vector magnetic potential can be calculated using the equation below, where A is the magnetic vector
potential.

B=∇×A (4.16)

4.5 Magnetic permeability (constant)

Magnetic permeability in free space is given the symbol µ0 , where there is no magnetization of particles.
The numeric value of µ0 = 4π × 10−7 H/m. When there are some material present, the magnetic field causes
the movement of bound charges of the molecules. This in turn creates magnetic dipoles.

4.6 Magnetisation M and Magnetic-field intensity H in linear mag-

netic media

Similar to the electric field polarization, here we have a dipole moment m as given by the below equation,
where Ib is the bound current which circulates about a path enclosed by dS

m = Ib dS Am2 (4.17)

If there are n magnetic dipoles per unit volume, the magnetic dipole moment in a volume ∆v is given by
the below equation.
Lecture 4: Magnetostatic Fields 4-5

n∆v
X
mtotal = mi (4.18)
i=1

The magnetization M is the magnetic dipole moment per unit volume.

n∆v
X
M = lim mi (4.19)
∆v →0
i=1

Similar to electric fields, in magnetic field we have the below equation which gives the relationship between
magnetization, magnetic field intensity and the magnetic flux density.

B = µ0 (H + M) (4.20)

Then a constant called magnetic susceptibility χm , gives the below mentioned relationship

M = χm H (4.21)

Then the relative permeability µr has a relationship with the magnetic susceptibility as follows.

µr = 1 + χm (4.22)

4.7 Boundary conditions for macroscopic magnetic fields

The boundary conditions gives us the relationship between the magnetic fields and the magnetic flux density
in the boundary of two magnetic material. Let us assume that the magnetic permeability of the magnetic
material in each side are µ1 and µ2 . The figure below shows one such scenario.

Figure 4.4: The boundary of two magnetic material

The normal boundary conditions give rise to the below equation.

BN 1 = BN 2 (4.23)
4-6 Lecture 4: Magnetostatic Fields

Then the tangential conditions gives rise to the blow equations.

Ht1 − Ht2 = aN 12 × K (4.24)

4.8 Energy density of magnetic field

The energy density of a magnetic field is given by 12 B · H or 12 B · H

References
[William2012] W. H. Hayt and J. A. Buck, “Engineering Electromagnetics 8th Edition,” Mc Graw-Hill,
2012, ISBN 978-0-07-338066-7.