Category:Fields, waves & electromagnetics

Background

Diagram of Maxwell's thermodynamic surface, with "isothermals and isopiestics drawn by help of the Sun.", 8 July 1875. See James Clerk Maxwell and P. M. Harman (2002), The Scientific Letters and Papers of James Clerk Maxwell, Volume 3; 1874-1879, p. 232.

The relationship between magnetic and electrical fields provides the foundational theory of electrical engineering. While naturally occurring electrical phenomenon such as lightning, static electricity and the shocks of various fishes and eels have been observed in the ancient world, the formal study and understanding of electric phenomenon began with William Gilbert's work on magnetism, culminating in his 1600 paper "On the Lodestone; Magnetic Bodies; and the Great Magnet, the Earth". Benjamin Franklin's many significant discoveries and Luigi Galvani's discovery of bioelectricity would follow in the 1700s, and in the early 1800s André-Marie Ampère and Hans Christian Ørsted discovered the link between electricity and magnetism, which were formalized by Maxwell's laws in 1873. These laws form the mathematical basis for practically the entire field of electrical engineering and its developments. The pure fields and waves aspects are still very commonly used today in applications such as antennas, microwaves and radio astronomy.

The IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society, IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society, IEEE Magnetics Society, IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society publish technical journals related to electromagnetic fields and waves.

STARS Articles

IEEE STARS articles are peer-reviewed articles on the history of major developments in electrical and computer science and technology. Available in the fields, waves & electromagnetics category are:

• Maxwell's Equations

Subcategories

• Antennas - A transducer which may receive or send signals by waves
• Electromagnetics - The link between electricity and magnetism
• Interference - A combination of multiple waves which results in a new waveform
• Magnetic devices - Various types of magnetic devices including accelerator magnets, magnetic cores and solenoids
• Magnetic fields - Topics related specifically to magnetic fields including geomagnetism and toroidal magnetic fields
• Magnetic materials - Materials which are naturally magnetic such as ferrites and garnets
• Magnetics - Topics pertaining to magnetics as a whole
• Microwave technology - Technology which applies microwaves including microwave amplifiers, bands and circuits
• Millimeter wave technology - The highest radio frequency band, topics in the category include millimeter wave devices, circuits and communication
• Radio astronomy - The field of astronomy which explores space by using radio frequencies and waves
• Resonance - Oscillation of a system at higher rates at certain frequencies
• Submillimeter wave technology - Electromagnetic radiation with a frequency between 300 and 3000 GHz