Electromagnetism of rotating conductors revisited

Abstract

The charge distribution and electromagnetic fields in a rotating, charged conductor under stationary conditions are investigated, assuming that the electrons are at rest relative to the conductor. The basic equations are found, referred to the inertial rest frame of the rotational axis, in the relativistic case, and applied to the case of a cylindrical conductor. The results obtained are compared with those of Grøn and Vøyenli (Grøn Ø and Vøyenli K 1982 Eur. J. Phys. 3 210-4) who considered the same problem but without taking into account the relative permittivity of the rotating conductor. It is found that the E- and B-fields do not depend on ε r and coincide with those calculated by Grøn and Vøyenli; the space and surface charge densities, however, depend on ε r .