Physlib

Physlib.Electromagnetism.Kinematics.ScalarPotential

The Scalar Potential

i. Overview

The electromagnetic potential is given by `A = (1/c φ, \vec A)` where `φ` is the scalar potential and `\vec A` is the vector potential.

In this module we define the scalar potential, and prove lemmas about it.

Since `A` is relativistic it is a function of `SpaceTime d`, whilst the scalar potential is non-relativistic and is therefore a function of `Time` and `Space d`.

ii. Key results

- `ElectromagneticPotential.scalarPotential` : The scalar potential from an electromagnetic potential. - `DistElectromagneticPotential.scalarPotential` : The scalar potential from an electromagnetic potential which is a distribution.

iii. Table of contents

  • A. Definition of the Scalar Potential
  • B. Smoothness of the Scalar Potential
  • C. Differentiability of the Scalar Potential
  • D. Scalar potential for distributions

iv. References

A. Definition of the Scalar Potential

B. Smoothness of the Scalar Potential

We prove various lemmas about the smoothness of the scalar potential.

C. Differentiability of the Scalar Potential

We prove various lemmas about the differentiability of the scalar potential.

D. Scalar potential for distributions

8 declarations

theorem

CnC^n smoothness of the electromagnetic potential implies CnC^n smoothness of the scalar potential

Let dd be the spatial dimension and cc be the speed of light. Suppose AA is an electromagnetic four-potential defined on dd-dimensional spacetime. If AA is nn-times continuously differentiable (CnC^n) with respect to the real numbers, then the scalar potential ϕ\phi associated with AA (viewed as a function of both time and space) is also nn-times continuously differentiable (CnC^n).

theorem

CnC^n smoothness of AA implies CnC^n smoothness of ϕ\phi in space

Let dd be the spatial dimension and cc be the speed of light. Suppose AA is an electromagnetic four-potential defined on dd-dimensional spacetime. If AA is nn-times continuously differentiable (CnC^n), then for any fixed time tt, the scalar potential ϕ\phi associated with AA, viewed as a function of space xϕ(t,x)x \mapsto \phi(t, x), is also nn-times continuously differentiable (CnC^n).

theorem

CC^\infty smoothness of AA implies CnC^n smoothness of ϕ\phi in space

Let dd be the spatial dimension and cc be the speed of light. Suppose AA is an electromagnetic four-potential defined on dd-dimensional spacetime. If AA is infinitely differentiable (CC^\infty), then for any fixed time tt and any natural number nn, the scalar potential ϕ\phi associated with AA, viewed as a function of space xϕ(t,x)x \mapsto \phi(t, x), is nn-times continuously differentiable (CnC^n).

theorem

CnC^n smoothness of AA implies CnC^n smoothness of the scalar potential with respect to time

Let dd be the spatial dimension and cc be the speed of light. Suppose AA is an electromagnetic four-potential defined on dd-dimensional spacetime. If AA is nn-times continuously differentiable (CnC^n) with respect to the real numbers, then for any fixed spatial position xx, the scalar potential ϕ\phi associated with AA is nn-times continuously differentiable (CnC^n) as a function of time.

theorem

Differentiability of the Scalar Potential ϕ\phi from a Differentiable Electromagnetic Potential AA

Given a spatial dimension dd, a speed of light cc, and an electromagnetic potential AA that is differentiable over R\mathbb{R}, the scalar potential ϕ\phi derived from AA and cc is differentiable over R\mathbb{R} as a function of both time and space.

theorem

Differentiability of the Scalar Potential ϕ\phi with respect to Space

Given a spatial dimension dd, a speed of light cc, and an electromagnetic potential AA that is differentiable over R\mathbb{R}, then for any fixed time tTimet \in \text{Time}, the scalar potential ϕ(t,):SpacedR\phi(t, \cdot) : \text{Space}_d \to \mathbb{R} (derived from AA and cc) is differentiable over R\mathbb{R} as a function of space.

theorem

Differentiability of the Scalar Potential ϕ\phi with respect to Time

Given a spatial dimension dd, a speed of light cc, and an electromagnetic potential AA that is differentiable over R\mathbb{R}, the scalar potential ϕ\phi associated with AA and cc is differentiable with respect to time tt for any fixed spatial position xSpacedx \in \text{Space}_d.

definition

Scalar potential of an electromagnetic potential distribution AA

Given a spatial dimension dd and a speed of light cc, the scalar potential ϕ\phi is defined as the real-linear map from the space of electromagnetic potential distributions to the space of real-valued distributions on space-time Time×Spaced\text{Time} \times \text{Space}_d. For an electromagnetic potential distribution AA, the scalar potential is obtained by scaling the potential by cc and extracting its temporal component, effectively satisfying the relationship ϕ=cA0\phi = c A^0.