Phys411 Notes, Demos and Supplements

Phys411 - Electricity and Magnetism
University of Maryland, College Park
Spring 2009, Professor: Ted Jacobson

Notes, Demos and Supplements

Thursday, May 7

Runaway solutions and pre-acceleration of the Abhraham-Lorentz radiation reaction equation.

Tuesday, April 21

N2-03 DIFFRACTION SPECTRUM OF SODIUM - EXPENDABLE GRATINGS

On the subject of absorption of sunight, and photosynthesis, here are a few links:

From my notes for Physics 104, the absorption spectrum of electromagnetic radiation by liquid water:
http://www.physics.umd.edu/grt/taj/104a/104anotessupps.html#waterabsorption

The solar spectrum is significantly cut off at wavelengths below the visible:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Solar_Spectrum.png
probably explaining why the UV part of the window is not exploited biologically (also UV radiation is damaging to biochemistry... but could biochemistry have evolved to exploit this UV if it were significantly present, or is that incompatible with available chemistry anyway?)

The absorption spectrum of various chlorophylls:
http://www.physics.umd.edu/grt/taj/104a/104anotessupps.html#chlorophyll

Monday, April 20

N1-01 PRISMATIC SPECTRUM OF WHITE LIGHT - POINT SOURCE

Tuesday 4/14

L5-34 FRUSTRATED TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION - MICROWAVES

150 WATT LAMP MOUNTED ON ROLLING TABLE, WITH ASSORTMENT OF PRISMS, POLARIZER, ETC

Thursday 4/9

K8-22 MICROWAVES - TUBULAR WAVEGUIDE

Tuesday 4/7

K8-01 ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE - MODEL

K8-03 LIGHT NANOSECOND

M9-03 CIRCULAR POLARIZATION - STICK MODEL

M7-01 MICROWAVES - POLARIZATION

M7-17 REFLECTION OF LIGHT FROM DIELECTRIC AND CONDUCTOR