Chronology | Current Month | Current Thread | Current Date |
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] | [Date Index] [Thread Index] | [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] | [Date Prev] [Date Next] |
Sorry to enter this fray so late - I was "away".conductor
Re: the distribution of unbalanced charge in a current carrying
(arises perennially on Phys-L) :right
1) The continuity equation and (the point version of) Ohms "law" require
that Div E (and therefore the volume charge density be non-zero wherever
there is a (spatial) gradient in the conductivity. This occurs at the
wire surfaces, wire bends, tapered wire sections, junctions of different
conductors, etc.
2) The above predicts that the interior of a straight, homogeneous,
circular conductor would be neutral. An AJP article by Peters added thecarriers
(pinch) effect of the current's own magnetic field on the charge
to show that there must be a balancing interior radial E field and so an
interior charge density which is a function of the cylindrical radial
coordinate. If necessary I can recover the reference to Peter's paper.
(This interior radial field and charge density are weak effects under
normal circumstances.)
Bob