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Magnetic Boundary Conditions

The document discusses magnetic boundary conditions at the interface between two materials with different magnetic permeabilities. The two key magnetic boundary conditions are: 1) The tangential component of the magnetic field is continuous across the boundary. 2) The normal component of the magnetic flux density is continuous across the boundary. If a surface current is present at the boundary, the tangential components of the magnetic field will not be continuous, but will instead be related by the boundary condition that the difference between the tangential fields is equal to the surface current.

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Suresh Thallapelli
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677 views6 pages

Magnetic Boundary Conditions

The document discusses magnetic boundary conditions at the interface between two materials with different magnetic permeabilities. The two key magnetic boundary conditions are: 1) The tangential component of the magnetic field is continuous across the boundary. 2) The normal component of the magnetic flux density is continuous across the boundary. If a surface current is present at the boundary, the tangential components of the magnetic field will not be continuous, but will instead be related by the boundary condition that the difference between the tangential fields is equal to the surface current.

Uploaded by

Suresh Thallapelli
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

11/28/2004 Magnetic Boundary Conditions 1/6

Magnetic Boundary
Conditions
Consider the interface between two different materials with
dissimilar permeabilities:

H1 ( r ), B1 ( r )

µ1

H2 ( r ), B2 ( r )
µ2

Say that a magnetic field and a magnetic flux density is present


in both regions.

Q: How are the fields in dielectric region 1 (i.e.,


H1 ( r ) , B1 ( r ) ) related to the fields in region 2 (i.e.,
H2 ( r ) , B2 ( r ) )?

A: They must satisfy the magnetic boundary


conditions !

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS


11/28/2004 Magnetic Boundary Conditions 2/6

First, let’s write the fields at the interface in terms of their


normal (e.g., Hn ( r ) ) and tangential (e.g., Ht ( r ) ) vector
components:

H1n ( r ) H1 ( r ) = H1t ( r ) + H1n ( r )

ˆan
µ1 H1t ( r )
H2t ( r )
H2n ( r )
H2 ( r ) = H2t ( r ) + H2n ( r )
µ2

Our first boundary condition states that the tangential


component of the magnetic field is continuous across a
boundary. In other words:

H1t ( rb ) = H2t ( rb )

where rb denotes to any point along the interface (e.g., material


boundary).

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS


11/28/2004 Magnetic Boundary Conditions 3/6

The tangential component of the magnetic field on


one side of the material boundary is equal to the tangential
component on the other side !

We can likewise consider the magnetic flux densities on the


material interface in terms of their normal and tangential
components:

B1n ( r ) B1 ( r ) = µ1 H1 ( r )

ˆan
µ1 B1t ( r )
B2t ( r )
B2n ( r )
B2 ( r ) = µ2 H2 ( r )

µ2

The second magnetic boundary condition states that the normal


vector component of the magnetic flux density is continuous
across the material boundary. In other words:

B1n ( rb ) = B2n ( rb )

where rb denotes any point along the interface (i.e., the


material boundary).

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS


11/28/2004 Magnetic Boundary Conditions 4/6

Since B ( r ) = µ H ( r ) , these boundary conditions can likewise be


expressed as:

H1t ( rb ) = H2t ( rb )

B1t ( rb ) B2t ( rb )
=
µ1 µ2

and as:

B1n ( rb ) = B2n ( rb )

µ1H1n ( rb ) = µ2H2n ( rb )

Note again the perfect analogy to the boundary conditions of


electrostatics!

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS


11/28/2004 Magnetic Boundary Conditions 5/6

Finally, recall that if a layer of free charge were lying at a


dielectric boundary, the boundary condition for electric flux
density was modified such that:

aˆn ⋅ ⎡⎣D1 ( rb ) − D2 ( rb ) ⎤⎦ = ρs ( rb )
D1n ( rb ) − D2n ( rb ) = ρs ( rb )

There is an analogous problem in magnetostatics, wherein a


surface current is flowing at the interface of two magnetic
materials:

ân
H1t ( rb )
µ1 Js ( rb )

H2t ( rb )

µ2

In this case the tangential components of the magnetic field


will not be continuous!

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS


11/28/2004 Magnetic Boundary Conditions 6/6

Instead, they are related by the boundary condition:

ân x ( H1 ( rb ) − H2 ( rb ) ) = Js ( rb )

This expression means that:

1) H1t ( rb ) and H2t ( rb ) point in the same direction.

2) H1t ( rb ) and H2t ( rb ) are orthogonal to Js ( rb ) .

3) The difference between H1t ( rb ) and H2t ( rb ) is Js ( rb ) .

Recall that H ( r ) and Js (r ) have the same units—


Amperes/meter!

Note for this case, the boundary condition for the magnetic
flux density remains unchanged, i.e.:

B1n ( rb ) = B2n ( rb )

regardless of Js ( rb ) .

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

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