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2014

Physics

Foundations of Wave Phenomena

Chapter 18

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18 The Electromagnetic Wave Equation, Charles G. Torre Aug 2014

18 The Electromagnetic Wave Equation, Charles G. Torre

Foundations of Wave Phenomena

Let us now see how the Maxwell equations (17.2)–(17.5) predict the existence of electromagnetic waves. For simplicity we will consider a region of space and time in which there are no sources (i.e., we consider the propagation of electromagnetic waves in vacuum). Thus we set p = 0 = j in our space-time region of interest. Now all the Maxwell equations are linear, homogeneous.