PHY 712 -- Computational assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to complete an in-depth study an electrodynamic topic of interest to you during the week of March 22-26. Students who do not attend the March APS meeting should choose a topic related to their research or develop a topic of their own choosing. Several suggestions are given below. Students who attend the March APS meeting should arrange to attend one or more talks on a subject involving electrodynamic concepts. In general, it will be necessary to consult additional references in order to complete the project. Each student should prepare a 20-30 minute talk about their project to share with the class. The talk should include:

1. Motivation and discription of the project
2. A discussion of the basic electrodynamic principles involved in the project
3. A discussion of the main results
4. Conclusions and outlook for additional work along these lines.

• Practical applications of reflectivity and refraction. Using Eqs. 7.39 and 7.41, derive expressions for the reflectivity and transmittance of visible light from water and other common materials. Show the effects of Brewster's angle on the use of polaroid sun glasses.
• Study Problem # 7.2 of JDJ as an example of anti-reflection coating technology.
• Obtain or program finite element analysis software and use it to solve a boundary value electrostatics or magnetostatics problem. First, test the software for a problem which you can also solve with an independent method.
• More suggestions available by request.