Abstract
Electrodynamics is an established science. Ever since James Clerk Maxwell spelled out its fundamental equations in 1865, its tenets have been verified and reverified by measurements, its formalism developed and made more elegant. It is also a science with wide application, since, except for the force of gravity, the vast majority of phenomena with which we come into contact every day is electrical in nature. Light and radiated heat, radio waves of all kinds, X-rays and UV rays are all manifestations of the same basic entity: the electromagnetic wave/photon. The differences between these phenomena stem entirely from different ways in which photons of different wavelength interact with matter.
In conjunction with quantum-mechanical principles, electrical force underlies the structure of atoms and molecules, and therefore all of chemistry, crystallography, and molecular biology as well. Solid and liquid state, all that we perceive as bulk or extension in space, is maintained by a quantum-mechanical balance of electromagnetic forces.
The same electrical force provides a remarkably flexible and efficient method for the transport and distribution of energy, the electric grid. It is the basis of our communication and digital information technology, not to even speak of consumer electronics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
In this book, we follow the SI (also known as the MKSA) unit system.
- 2.
This identity makes no intuitive sense in terms of the properties of vector differential operators, until we realize that it is an application of a well-known algebraic formula for the vector product, x ×(y ×z) = y(x ⋅z) − z(x ⋅y), to the operator ▽.
- 3.
Plasma is a generic term for a gaseous (low-density) assembly of charged particles. Free electrons in a metal are well described as a plasma, which is held in place by the overall positive charge anchored to the lattice of metal atoms.
References
Balanis, C.A. Antenna Theory, Analysis and Design, 2nd edition, Wiley, New York (1997)
Born, M., Wolf, E. Principles of Optics, 7th edition, Cambridge University Press, New York (2006)
Byron, F.W., Fuller, R.W. Mathematics of Classical and Quantum Physics, Dover, New York (1992)
Elliott, R.S. Antenna Theory and Design, Revised Edition, Wiley, New York (2003)
Fowles, G.R. Introduction to Modern Optics, 2nd edition, Dover, New York (1989)
Jackson, J.D. Classical Electrodynamics, 3rd edition, Wiley, New York (1998)
Ma, M.T. Theory and Application of Antenna Arrays, Wiley, New York (1974)
Morse, P.M., Feshbach, H. Methods of Theoretical Physics, McGraw-Hill, New York (1953)
Pozar, D.M. Microwave Engineering, Wiley, New York (1998)
Russer, P. Electromagnetics, Microwave Circuit and Antenna Design for Communications Engineering, 2nd edition, Artech, Boston (2006)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag US
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Antolovic, D. (2010). Physical Principles of Radio Communication. In: Radiolocation in Ubiquitous Wireless Communication. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1632-7_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1632-7_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1631-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1632-7
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)