CHAPTER 9

TIME-VARYING FIELDS AND

MAXWELL’S EQUATIONS
 9.2
DISPLACEMENT CURRENT
 Displacement Current

For static EM fields, we recall that

∇ × 𝐻 = 𝐽റ (1.13)

But the divergence of the curl of any vector field is identically zero. Hence,

(1.14)
∇ ∙ ∇ × 𝐻 = 0 = ∇ ∙ 𝐽റ

The quantity of current requires that

𝜕𝜌𝑣 (1.15)
∇ ∙ 𝐽റ = − ≠0
𝜕𝑡
 Displacement Current

Thus eqs. (1.14) and (1.15) are obviously incompatible for time-varying
conditions. We must modify eq. (1.13) to agree with eq. (1.15). To do this, we
add a term to eq. (1.13), so that it becomes

∇ × 𝐻 = 𝐽റ + 𝐽റ𝑑 (1.16)

where 𝐽റ𝑑 is to be determined and defined. Again, the divergence of the curl
of any vector is zero. Hence,

(1.17)
∇ ∙ ∇ × 𝐻 = 0 = ∇ ∙ 𝐽റ + +∇ ∙ 𝐽റ𝑑
 Displacement Current

In order for eq. (1.17) to agree with eq. (1.15),

𝜕𝜌𝑣 𝜕 𝜕𝐷
∇ ∙ 𝐽റ𝑑 = −∇ ∙ 𝐽റ = = ∇∙𝐷 =∇∙ (1.18)
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡

or

𝜕𝐷 (1.19)
𝐽റ𝑑 =
𝜕𝑡
 Displacement Current

Substituting eq. (1.19) into eq. (1.15) results in

𝝏𝑫
𝛁 × 𝑯 = 𝑱റ + (1.20)
𝝏𝒕
𝜕𝐷
The term 𝐽റ𝑑 = 𝜕𝑡 is known as displacement current density and 𝐽റ is the
conduction current density 𝐽റ = 𝜎𝐸 .

Based on displacement current density, we define the displacement

current as
𝜕𝐷
റ
𝐼𝑑 = න 𝐽𝑑 ∙ 𝑑𝑆 = න ∙ 𝑑𝑆
𝜕𝑡
 Example #1

A parallel-plate capacitor with plate area of 5 cm2 and plate separation of

3 mm has a voltage 50 sin 103 t V applied to its plates. Calculate the
displacement current assuming 𝜀 = 2 𝜀0 .

Solution:
𝑉
𝐷 = 𝜀𝐸 = 𝜀
𝑑

𝜕𝐷 𝜀 𝑑𝑉
𝐽𝑑 = =
𝜕𝑡 𝑑 𝑑𝑡
 Example #1

𝜀𝑆 𝑑𝑉
𝐼𝑑 = 𝐽𝑑 ∙ 𝑆 =
𝑑 𝑑𝑡

2𝜀0 5 × 10−4
𝐼𝑑 = 103 × 50 𝑐𝑜𝑠 103 𝑡
3 × 10−3

2 8.85 × 10−12 5 × 10−4

𝐼𝑑 = 103 × 50 𝑐𝑜𝑠 103 𝑡
3 × 10−3

𝑰𝒅 = 𝟏𝟒𝟕. 𝟓 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒕 𝒏𝑨

Example #2
 Example #2

Solution:
(a) 𝐻𝑥 = 0.15𝑐𝑜𝑠 3.12 3 × 108 𝑡 − 𝑦 𝐴/𝑚
𝜕𝐷 𝜕𝐸 𝜕𝐻
𝐽റ𝑑 = 𝜕𝑡 = 𝜀 𝜕𝑡 = 𝜀η 𝜕𝑡 ; η = 377Ω for air
𝐽റ𝑑 = 8.85 × 10−12 × 377 × 0.15 × 3.12 × 3 × 108 𝐴/𝑚2
𝑱റ𝒅 = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟔𝟖 𝑨/𝒎𝟐

(b) 𝐵 = 0.8𝑐𝑜𝑠 1.257 × 10−6 3 × 108 𝑡 − 𝑥 𝑎റ 𝑦

𝐵 0.8
𝐻= = −7 𝑐𝑜𝑠 1.257 × 10−6 3 × 108 𝑡 − 𝑥 𝑎റ 𝑦
𝜇 4𝜋 × 10
 Example #2

𝜕𝐷 𝜕𝐸 𝜕𝐻
𝐽റ𝑑 = 𝜕𝑡 = 𝜀 𝜕𝑡 = 𝜀η 𝜕𝑡 ; η = 377Ω for air
8.85 × 10−12 × 377 × 0.8 × 1.257 × 10−6 × 3 × 108
𝐽റ𝑑 =
4𝜋 × 10−7
𝑱റ𝒅 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟎𝟎 𝑨/𝒎𝟐

(c) 𝐸 = 0.9𝑐𝑜𝑠 1.257 × 10−6 3 × 108 𝑡 − 𝑧 5 𝑎റ 𝑥 𝑀𝑉/𝑚 and 𝜀𝑟 = 5

𝐷 = 𝜀𝑟 𝜀0 𝐸
𝐷 = 5 × 8.85 × 10−12 × 0.9 × 106 𝑐𝑜𝑠 1.257 × 10−6 3 × 108 𝑡 − 𝑧 5 𝑎റ 𝑥
𝐷 = 3.9825 × 10−5 𝑐𝑜𝑠 1.257 × 10−6 3 × 108 𝑡 − 𝑧 5 𝑎റ 𝑥 𝐶/𝑚2
 Example #2

𝜕𝐷
𝐽റ𝑑 =
𝜕𝑡
𝐽റ𝑑 = 3.9825 × 10−5 × 1.257 × 10−6 × 3 × 108 𝑠𝑖𝑛 1.257 × 10−6 3 × 108 𝑡 − 𝑧 5 𝑎റ𝑥
𝐽റ𝑑 = 0.0150𝑠𝑖𝑛 1.257 × 10−6 3 × 108 𝑡 − 𝑧 5 𝑎റ𝑥 𝐴/𝑚2
𝑱റ𝒅 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝑨/𝒎𝟐

(d) 𝜀 = 𝜀0 , 𝜇 = 𝜇0 , 𝜎 = 5.8 × 107 𝑆/𝑚 and 𝐽റ = sin 377𝑡 − 117.1𝑧 𝑎റ 𝑥 𝑀𝐴/𝑚2

𝐽റ
𝐽റ = 𝜎𝐸 → 𝐸 =
𝜎
6
10 𝑠𝑖𝑛 377𝑡 − 117.1𝑧 𝑎റ 𝑥
𝐸= 7 = 1.7241 × 10−2 𝑠𝑖𝑛 377𝑡 − 117.1𝑧 𝑎റ 𝑥 𝑉/𝑚
5.8 × 10
 Example #2

𝐷 = 𝜀0 𝐸
𝐷 = 8.85 × 10−12 × 1.7241 × 10−2 𝑠𝑖𝑛 377𝑡 − 117.1𝑧 𝑎റ 𝑥
𝐷 = 1.5265 × 10−13 𝑠𝑖𝑛 377𝑡 − 117.1𝑧 𝑎റ 𝑥 𝐶/𝑚2
𝜕𝐷
𝐽റ𝑑 =
𝜕𝑡
𝐽റ𝑑 = 1.5265 × 10−13 × 377𝑐𝑜𝑠 377𝑡 − 117.1𝑧 𝑎റ 𝑥
𝐽റ𝑑 = 57.6 × 10−12 𝑐𝑜𝑠 377𝑡 − 117.1𝑧 𝑎റ 𝑥 𝐴/𝑚2
𝑱റ𝒅 = 𝟓𝟕. 𝟔 𝒑𝑨/𝒎𝟐
 9.3
MAXWELL’S EQUATIONS IN POINT FORM
 Maxwell’s Equations in Point Form

Two of Maxwell’s equations for time-varying fields:

𝝏𝑩 𝝏𝑫
𝛁 × 𝑬 = − 𝝏𝒕 and 𝛁 × 𝑯 = 𝑱റ + 𝝏𝒕

The remaining two equations are unchanged from their non-time-varying

form:
𝛁 × 𝑫 = 𝝆𝒗

𝛁×𝑩=𝟎
 Auxiliary Equations

𝐷 = 𝜀𝐸

𝐵 = 𝜇𝐻

𝐽റ = 𝜎𝐸 (conduction current density)

𝐽റ = 𝜌𝑣 𝑣റ (conduction current density in terms of the volume charge density

𝜌𝑣 )
Example #1
 Example #1

Solution:
(a) From Maxwell’s 𝛁 × 𝑫 = 𝝆𝒗 equation:
Since given 𝜌𝑣 = 0,
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
∇ × 𝐷 = 𝑎റ 𝑥 + 𝑎റ 𝑦 + 𝑎റ 𝑧 ∙ 6𝑎റ 𝑥 − 2𝑦𝑎റ 𝑦 + 2𝑥 𝑎റ 𝑧 = 0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 1 𝐴
→ ∇ × 𝐻 = 0 → 𝑎റ 𝑥 + 𝑎റ 𝑦 + 𝑎റ 𝑧 ∙ 𝑘𝑥𝑎റ 𝑥 + 10𝑦𝑎റ 𝑦 − 25𝑧𝑎റ 𝑧 =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝑚 𝑚
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝑘 + 10 − 25 = 0 → 𝑘 + 10 − 25 = 0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝑨
𝒌 = 𝟏𝟓 𝟐
𝒎
 Example #1

Solution:
𝜕𝐵 𝜕𝐻
(b) ∇ × 𝐸 = − 𝜕𝑡 = −𝜇 𝜕𝑡
𝑉 𝐴
Here, 𝐸 = 20𝑦 − 𝑘𝑡 𝑎റ 𝑥 𝑚 and 𝐻 = 𝑦 + 2 × 106 𝑡 𝑎റ 𝑧 𝑚
𝜕𝐷
∇ × 𝐻 = 𝐽റ +
𝜕𝑡
Since 𝜌𝑣 = 0 → 𝐽റ = 0
𝜕𝐷
∇×𝐻 =
𝜕𝑡
𝜕𝐸
∇×𝐻 =𝜀 → (Eq. 1)
𝜕𝑡
 Example #1

Solution:
𝑎റ 𝑥 𝑎റ 𝑦 𝑎റ 𝑧
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝐴
∇×𝐻 = = 𝑎റ 𝑥 𝑦 + 2 × 106 𝑡 = 𝑎റ 𝑥 2
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑦 𝑚
0 0 𝑦 + 2 × 106 𝑡

𝐹
and given 𝜀 = 4 × 10−9
𝑚

𝜕𝐸 𝜕 𝑉 𝑉
= 20𝑦 − 𝑘𝑡 𝑎റ 𝑥 = −𝑘𝑎റ 𝑥
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡 𝑚∙𝑠 𝑚∙𝑠
 Example #1

Solution:
Plugging all values in Eq. 1, we get
𝜕𝐸
∇×𝐻 =𝜀 → (Eq. 1)
𝜕𝑡

𝐴 −9
𝐹 𝑉
𝑎റ 𝑥 = 4 × 10 −𝑘𝑎റ 𝑥
𝑚2 𝑚 𝑚∙𝑠

𝟏 𝟖
𝑽
𝒌=− = −𝟐. 𝟓 × 𝟏𝟎
𝟒 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟗 𝒎∙𝒔