Classical Electrodynamics ― From Image Charges to the Photon Mass and Magnetic Monopoles

This book proposes intriguing arguments that will enable students to achieve a deeper understanding of electromagnetism, while also presenting a number of classical methods for solving difficult problems. Two chapters are devoted to relativistic electrodynamics, covering all aspects needed for a full comprehension of the nature of electric and magnetic fields and, subsequently, electrodynamics. Each of the two final chapters examines a selected experimental issue, introducing students to the work involved in actually proving a law or theory. Classical books on electricity and magnetism are mentioned in many references, helping to familiarize students with books that they will encounter in their further studies. Various problems are presented, together with their worked-out solutions. The book is based on notes from special lectures delivered by the author to students during the second year of a BSc course in Physics, but the subject matter may also be of interest to senior physicists, as many of the themes covered are completely ignored or touched only briefly in standard textbooks.

Francesco Lacava is Associate Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy – a position he has held since 1992. His research includes the physics of hadron colliders and the development of detectors for particle physics. He has been closely involved in the ATLAS Experiment at LHC over the past two decades, working presently on the upgrade of the muon tracking detectors. Between 1993 and 2005 he was also involved in the KLOE Experiment at the phi-factory DAFNE in the Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, INFN. He is the lead author or co-author of more than 600 papers on high-energy particle physics and detectors.