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-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of John Denker
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 1:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Poynting Vector
On 06/28/2008 09:48 AM, Jeffrey Schnick wrote:
Consider a charged simple parallel plate capacitor in a staticuniform
downward-directed magnetic field. The capacitor is oriented so that
from our point of view, the electric field between the plates of the
capacitor is directed rightward. Poynting tells us that between the
plates, energy is flowing away from us at a rate proportional to EB.
Where is that energy coming from and going to?
The energy is flowing around and around, chasing its tail. It does
not
accumulate anywhere, as you can easily verify by showing that ∇•S = 0.
Since it is not particularly easy to visualize the fringing fields of
a parallel-plate capacitor, it may help to consider (as a warm-up
exercise at the very least) a concentric coaxial capacitor, i.e.
where the field is in the gap between two tubes. The situation is
nicely symmetric, and the energy just flows around and around in
circles.