The solution at revision #20584 of , by Valter. This is not the current version.

Statement

12.1.15∗. Using the formula given in problem 12.1.14, solve the following problems:
a. Determine the electric field strength in a plane wave emitted by a plane capacitor as it moves with a constant acceleration directed parallel to its plates. The distance between the plates is , the electric field strength inside the capacitor is .
b. The linear current density on the plate varies sinusoidally with amplitude . Determine in SI and CGS the amplitude of the electric field strength in the wave emitted by this plate.
c. Determine the reflection coefficient of an electromagnetic wave incident on a thin conducting film perpendicular to its surface. Film thickness , number of conduction electrons per unit volume , wave frequency .

Solution

a) The field inside the capacitor is . Each of the two plates individually creates a field . The plates are oppositely charged, so their emitted fields have opposite signs.
Let the plate closer to the observer be at distance , and the farther one at . According to the formula, the total radiated field is:

Since the capacitor moves with constant acceleration , then . The difference in velocities for times differing by is .
Then the magnitude of the radiated field is:

b) The surface current creates a magnetic field near the plate.
In SI: By Ampere's law, . The emitted electric field is related to the magnetic field as . Since , the amplitude is:

In CGS: The magnetic field of the current is . The emitted electric field is , hence the amplitude is:

c) The incident wave forces the film's electrons to move. The equation of motion for an electron is .
Electron velocity: .
The current density in the film is , and the surface current (current per unit width) is :

Amplitude of the surface current .
The film acts as an emitting plate from part (b). The amplitude of the reflected wave (in SI) is:

The reflection coefficient is the ratio of the intensities (squares of the field amplitudes) of the reflected and incident waves:

Answer

a.
b. (SI); (CGS)
c.