6533b83afe1ef96bd12a7b29
RESEARCH PRODUCT
An educational path for the magnetic vector potential and its physical implications
M. CavinatoSara BarbieriMarco Gilibertisubject
PhysicsField (physics)Physics - Physics EducationClassical Physics (physics.class-ph)FOS: Physical sciencesGeneral Physics and AstronomyPhysics - Classical PhysicsGauge (firearms)Indeterminacy (literature)Magnetic fieldInterpretation (model theory)Theoretical physicsPhysics Education (physics.ed-ph)Path (graph theory)CoulombMagnetic potentialdescription
We present an educational path for the magnetic vector potential A aimed at undergraduate students and pre-service physics teachers. Starting from the generalized Ampere–Laplace law, in the framework of a slowly varying time-dependent field approximation, the magnetic vector potential is written in terms of its empirical references, i.e. the conduction currents. Therefore, once the currents are known, our approach allows for a clear and univocal physical determination of A, overcoming the mathematical indeterminacy due to the gauge transformations. We have no need to fix a gauge, since for slowly varying time-dependent electric and magnetic fields, the ‘natural’ gauge for A is the Coulomb one. We stress the difference between our approach and those usually presented in the literature. Finally, a physical interpretation of the magnetic vector potential is discussed and some examples of the calculation of A are analysed.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-03-22 |