Magnetostatic Fields

We turn our attention now to the study of magnetostatic fields. The sources for
magnetostatic fields are direct currents, J . Since the source for magnetostatic fields is a
vector quantity, one might expect magnetic fields to depend quite differently on their
sources than do electric fields on their scalar sources. Though this turns out to be the
case, there are nevertheless striking similarities between the two, as we shall see.

Magnetostatic fields are determined by the two equations

( )
( )
Ampere's law ,
0 Magnetic form of Gauss's law .


H J
B


Note the following comparisons with the static forms of Faradays and Gausss laws:
In contrast to Faradays law, Amperes law has a vector source term, J , a current
density. The quantityH[A/m] appearing in Amperes law is the magnetic field
intensity.
In contrast to Gausss law for electric fields, the magnetic form of Gausss law has no
source term. Since its divergence is zero, the flux lines of the magnetic flux density
B[W/m
2
] must either form a closed path or end at infinity.

Note also that since H J 0 , the current in Amperes law must be a DC
current forming a closed circuit.

Corresponding to these point-form equations are the integral forms of these equations,
obtained by integrating Amperes and Gausss laws over a surface and volume and using
Stokess theorem and the divergence theorem, respectively:


( ) Integral form of Ampere's law
C S
d d

H J S
!
" "" "
( ) 0 Integral form of magnetic Gauss's law
S
d

B S
!


In free space, B H and are related by the constitutive equation

B H
0
,

where
0
7
4 10

[H/m] is the permeability of free space. The total force (electric
and magnetic) on a point charge q moving with velocity v in the presence of the electric
field intensity Eand the magnetic flux density Bis given by the Lorentz force law:

( ) q + F E v B .


Determining Magnetic Fields by Amperes Law

Just as Gausss law alone may be used to determine electric fields in certain situations
with a high degree of symmetry, Amperes law alone can be used to determine magnetic
field in situations where certain symmetries are present. However, since current sources
are vector quantities and hence have a direction associated with them, some of the
symmetries of electrostatics do not appear in magnetostatics. On the other hand, some
new symmetries are allowed. The first case examined is the magnetic field of a line
source of current.

Magnetic Field Due to a Current Line Source:

Consider an infinitely long line source carrying a direct
current I along the z -axis, as shown in the figure. Since the
source is invariant with respect to rotation about its axis
I
H

Amperian
path
(rotation in ) and with respect to translation along the z -axis, a cylindrical coordinate
system seems appropriate. Let us apply Amperes law along a circular path of radius
and centered along the z -axis as shown. Along the circular path, only the
H

component of the magnetic field will contribute to the line integral, and, by
symmetry, H

must be constant on the path. Hence Amperes law yields

( )
2
0

2
C S
d H d H d I

H J S
!
" "" " ,
and hence
H
I
2
#
.
In writing the last equation, we have assumed that H H
z

0 which we now prove.

We prove that H

0 by assuming that H

0 and developing a contradiction to the

assumption. We note that Amperes and the magnetic Gausss law depend linearly on the
current in the sense that if we replace J by J in Amperes law, then H and
0
B Hstill satisfy both equations, i.e., H will be a solution to the problem in
which the current direction is reversed. Thus H

becomes H

when the current

direction is reversed. Now consider another way to reverse the current. At some point
where H

supposedly exists, we let

#
be an axis of rotation and rotate the line charge
through an angle of 180
o
so that again the current direction is reversed. But rotating the
vector component H

about its axis leaves its direction unchanged. Since reversing the
current by two different methods produces both H

and H

, we conclude that
H

0.

To show that H
z
also vanishes, we apply Amperes law
along the closed path shown in the figure. Since the
component parallel to two legs of the path is H

0,
and the field vanishes on the closure of the path at
I
h
H
z

H

0
, the entire contribution comes from the leg parallel to the z -axis yielding
0
z
C
d H h

H
!
" "" "
since, by symmetry, H
z
must be constant along the portion of the path parallel to the z -
axis. The right hand side vanishes because no current passes through the cross section of
the path. Hence we conclude H
z
0.

Magnetic Field Due to a Current in a Coaxial Line:








Consider next the coaxial line with center conductor of radius a and outer conductor
bounded by the surfaces b and c with c b > . The center conductor carries a total
DC current I parallel to the positive z -axis and the outer conductor carries the return
current I in the opposite direction. If we model the conductors as perfect conductors,
charges can exist only on the conductors surface and the motion of these charges
constitutes a surface current. But if we allow the conductors to have a large but finite
conductivity, a DC current will be uniformly distributed as a volume current density
within the conductors cross sections. We generally assume this latter, more realistic
model. Hence a volume current density
2
2
[A/m ]
z
I
J
a
J z z exists on the inner
conductor while a volume current density
( )
2
2 2
[A/m ]
z
I
J
c b

J z z exists on the
outer conductor. Applying Amperes law in the four regions
< < < < < > a a b b c c , , , , we find

I
I
Amp erian p ath
for b c < <

( )
2
2
2
2 2 2 2
0
2 2 2 2
, ,
, ,

2
, ,
0, .
I a
a
I a b
H d H
b c
I I I b c
c b c b
I I c

<

< <

< <

>

Hence,
2
2 2
2 2
, ,
2
, ,
2
, ,
2
0, .
I
a
a
I
a b
H
I c
b c
c b
c

<

< <

< <

>

A plot of H

versus is given below.

Magnetic Field Due to a Current Sheet:

Consider a metallic sheet conductor carrying a
uniform surface current of density [A/m]
S
J in the
# z direction. By the same symmetry argument
used for the line source, we can immediately
eliminate the presence of any H
y
component of the
field. Then a rectangular path parallel to the y - z

H

a b
c
y
z
x
J
z

plane with one leg at y can be used to argue that no H
z

component can be present. Thus we must only have a H
x

component. The presence of this component is also
consistent with the direction obtained by modeling the sheet
as a collection of filamentary line currents and adding the
contributions from each pair of filaments that is equidistant
from the observation point. This construction also shows
that the field for positive y ,
x
H
+
, has the opposite direction,
x x
H H
+
, at a corresponding point at y , i.e. the field
direction is opposite on opposite sides of the current sheet.
To determine the actual strength of the magnetic field,
however, we must use Amperes circuital law. Consider the line integral about the
rectangular path shown. There is no contribution to the circulation along the legs of the
path perpendicular to the current sheet since there is no magnetic field component
parallel to the path. Along each leg parallel to the current sheet, the field is constant and
directed along the path so that the total circulation is
( )( ) 2
x x x S
C
d H w H w H w J w
+ +
+

H "
!

so that
0
2
0.
2
S
S
J
y
J
y

>

<

x
H
x



Magnetic Field Due to a Pair of
Current Sheets:

The magnetic field due to a parallel pair of
current sheets may be found from the
previous result by superposition. For
I
I
w
a
x
z
y
w d
d
x
y
z
example, consider two parallel-plate conductors of width walong the x dimentsion, one
at y 0 and another at y a . The conductor at y 0carries a total current I in the
z direction while the conductor at y a carries a current I in the +z direction. If
w a >> , we can approximate the fields near the center of the parallel plate region by
those produced by infinite sheets of surface currents of density J
I
w
z
. Labeling the
magnetic fields due to the currents at at y 0 and y a as H
1
and H
2
, respectively, and
using the results of the previous section, we have in the various regions
1
0
2
0,
2
I
y
w
I
y
w

>

<

x
H
x

2

2
.
2
I
y a
w
I
y a
w

>

<

x
H
x

Hence, superimposing fields in the various regions, have

1 2
0
0
0 0
y a
I
y a
w
y
>

+ < <

<

H H H x
This is a model for a parallel plate conductor line if fringing fields at the edges of the
conductors are ignored.

Magnetic Field in a Solenoid:


A solenoid is a cylindrical structure wound with
many turns of wire. We assume that there are n
turns per meter. By reversing the current direction
and flipping the geometry about its axis, we may
I
I
N turns
/ n N "
N turns
"
again prove there is no H

component of magnetic field.

A rectangular path lying in a = constant plane and with
one leg at infinity may also be used to argue that H
z
= 0
outside the solenoid. And finally, a circular path with its
axis on the z -axis can be used to determine that H

= 0
both in and outside the solenoid. Hence the only field component is H
z
inside the
solenoid. Integrating around the path shown in the figure, we obtain
z
C
w
d H w NI n I w

H "
"
!
and hence
H n I
z

interior to the solenoid. Note the field is constant within the solenoid.


Magnetic Field in a Toroidal Coil:

A toroidal coil is a ring-like structure with coils
wrapped around it. If we think of it as merely a
solenoid wrapped around and connected end to
end, we would expect there to be no field exterior
to the solenoid. Interior to the solenoid, since the
structure has rotational symmetry about the z -
axis, the field would be in the -direction. The
toroid shown has N turns wrapped around a ring
of a mean radius b, and the radius of the ring cross section is a . If a circular Amperian
path is taken as shown, we obtain 2
C
d H NI

H
!
" "" " or
, inside the toroid
2
NI
H

.
If b a >> , the field is essentially uniform over the cross section and we can approximate
in the above expressions by the mean radius of the ring:
I
I
w
a

I
I
b
, inside the toroid,
2
NI
H b a
b

>> .
The Biot-Savart Law

One approach to solving the pair of magnetostatic equations defining the magnetostatic
fields is the potential approach, similar to that used in electrostatics. Here we attempt to
automatically satisfy the magnetic form of Gausss law by introducing a magnetic vector
potential Asuch that

B A ,

thus guaranteeing that B 0 by virtue of the identity A 0 . Since
B H
0
in free space, substitution of the potential expression for Binto Amperes law
yields
( )
0 0
1 1
.

j \

, (
( ,
A A J
Application of the identity
( )
2
+ A A A
yields
+
2
0
A A J .

Since we have constrained only the curl of A, we are free to choose its divergence in any
way that is convenient. To simplify the above equation, we therefore choose A 0,
yielding


2
0
A J .

The so-called vector Laplacian of the vector A,
2
A , generally has a different form
than the scalar Laplacian; in rectangular coordinates, however, it has the same form:
2 2 2
2
0 2 2 2
.
x y z

j \
+ +
, (

( ,
A A J

Thus writing A and J in rectangular components and equating like components on both
sides of the equation yields the three separate scalar equations




2
0
2
0
2
0
A J
A J
A J
x x
y y
z z

,
,
,

where the Laplacian operator in these equations is now the scalar Laplacian operating on
each of the scalar components of A.
By comparing these equations to Poissons equation,
2
0

V
, we infer the solution
of the first of the three equations above to be

0
'
4
x
x
V
J
A dV
R

where R r r' and where similar solutions may be written for the components A
x
and
A
y
. Adding the resulting three scalar equations vectorially yields the final expression for
the magnetic vector potential
0
'
4
V
dV
R

J
A

at the observation point r in terms of an integral over currents defined at source points
r' . The magnetic flux density Bis thus determined from

0 0 0
1
' ' '
4 4 4
V V V
dV dV dV
R R R


j \ j \

, ( , (
( , ( ,

J J J
B A .

To obtain the above result, we have used the vector identity
( ) + F F F for arbitrary vectors Fand scalars and noted that
the curl is with respect to the unprimed coordinates while J is a function only of primed
coordinates and hence J 0 . Furthermore, we note that

3 2

1 '
R R R
j \

, (
( ,
r r R


so that together with B H
0
, we obtain the Biot-Savart law,

2

'
4
V
dV
R

J R
H .


EXAMPLE:

CURRENT-CARRYING WIRE







The Biot-Savart law can be applied to determine the magnetic field intensity. Hence, the
general expression


z
'
R
#
R
z

I
2

= '
4
V
dV
R

J R
H

becomes

2

R
=
4
C
I
d
R

H "
" "" "


since

' ' ' ' dV J dA d I d J " " " " " " " " " " for this particular geometry. Note that the direction of
the current and the vector
#
R are given by

z " "" "

and

#
# # R r r z = = z ,

respectively. Thus, the term
2

R
R
j \

, (
, (
( ,
" "" "
becomes
3/ 2 2
2 2

R
z

, ] +
]
R " "" "
.

Substituting back into the Biot-Savart law, the integral expression for the magnetic field
becomes

( )
3/ 2
2
2

=
4
I dz
z

, ]
+
]

H

.

Since I is a direct current and

is constant with respect to the integration variable, this

expression becomes

( )
3/ 2
2
2

=
4
I dz
z

, ]
+
]

H

,

which yields

2

=
4
I

j \
, (
( ,
H .

Thus, the magnetic field produced by a straight current carrying wire is given by

=
2
I

H .





EXAMPLE:

CIRCULAR LOOP OF CURRENT






The Biot-Savart law is given by

2

R
H=
4
C
I
d
R

"
" "" "
,

where, for this loop of current,


d ad " " "" "

and

R r r z = z a # #
.
(0,0,z)
a

'
I
z

Rewriting the unit vector
#
in terms of rectangular coordinates results in

( )
= cos sin z a + R z x y

and the cross product
# #
" R becomes

( )
cos sin

z a + , ]
]

z x y
R
R
R R
" " " " " " " "

( )
1/ 2
2 2
cos sin

z a
z a
+ +

, ] +
]
x y z
R " .

Substituting back into the Biot-Savart law, the magnetic field becomes

( ) 2
3/ 2
0 2 2
cos sin
=
4
Ia z a
d
z a

+ + , ]
]

, ] +
]

x y z
H ,

which then reduces to

2
2
3/ 2
0 2 2

=
4
Ia
d
z a

, ] +
]

z
H

or

2
3/ 2
2 2

=
2
Ia
z a , ] +
]
z
H