The Book End
An Introduction to Classical Electromagnetic Radiation
Glenn S. Smith
Cambridge University Press
653 pages; $54.95
This book focuses on the fundamental aspects of electromagnetic radiation, and is intended for first-year graduate students with previous exposure to the subject. The emphasis is on providing an understanding of basic principles with a balance between physical and mathematical explanations.
The book begins with Maxwell's equations in integral form. Subjects such as Poynting's theorem, the finite-difference time domain method of analysis, harmonic time dependence and the Fourier transform are discussed. Chapter 2 overviews the propagation of homogeneous plane waves in free space. The Poincaré sphere and Stokes parameters are introduced to describe the state of polarization of a monochromatic wave. Chapter 3 discusses inhomogeneous plane waves in free space. Electromagnetic analogs of certain famous principles from optics are presented.
The remainder of the book concentrates on the radiation from current and charge distributions. Chapter 5 derives the retarded potentials for a general distribution of charge and current. In Chapter 6, the electromagnetic field of a moving point charge is derived using the Liénard-Wiechert potentials. Chapter 7 details dipole radiation. Duality is introduced and used to obtain the infinitesimal magnetic dipole or current loop fields. Simple arrays of electrically short linear antennas (dipoles) in the time domain are featured and the case of harmonic time dependence is presented.
A discussion of the color and polarization of skylight is provided and a reasonable explanation of the blue sky problem is presented based on the scattering of sunlight in the atmosphere. The final chapter is devoted to radiation from simple thin-wire antennas. Radiation is shown to occur when the pulse of charge encounters the discontinuities and bends in the wire. Two appendices provide discussions on units and dimensions, and vector analysis.
The book contains a disproportionate number of good illustrations and many example problems to sharpen the reader's understanding of the material. The text handles the enormous weight of the subject in a manner that is relatively easy to grasp and retain.
To order this book, contact:
Cambridge University Press,
40 West 20th St.,
New York, NY 10011-4211
(800) 872-7423.
Guide to Telecommunication Systems
Anton A. Huurdeman
Artech House Inc.
395 pages; $75, £60
Few areas have developed more rapidly than telecommunications technology in recent times. Key developments such as optoelectronics, microelectronics and memory technology as well as software have contributed to this explosive growth. This book details the current developments in telecommunications transmission systems and the evolution from dedicated analog transport networks for speech, data, sound and video signals through the integrated services digital network (ISDN) toward broadband ISDN. In addition, satellite networks complementing optical transmission systems have paved the way for true global communications. This book presents an overview of present-day telecommunications transmission systems and provides an outlook on planned developments and introductions.
The book begins with an introduction to telecommunications and describes the transmission equipment that interfaces between terminal and switching equipment on one side and the transmission media on the other. Chapters 3 through 7 describe the five transmission media: copper lines, optical fiber, radio relay, mobile radio and satellite systems. A summary of the specific applications for each medium is provided.
Chapter 8 underlines the complementary nature of the five media and selects the most cost-effective solution for each specific application. Chapter 9 illustrates the future growth potential and contributions the five media will add to the telecommunications market. An outlook on the development of each medium in the next five years is presented in the last chapter. Special attention is focused on the planned new satellite networks.
This book presents a telecommunications transmission overview including historical perspectives and future planned developments into the beginning of the next century in a concise and understandable manner. It provides many useful definitions and descriptions as well as a systemic understanding of the technology.
To order this book, contact:
Artech House Inc.,
685 Canton St.,
Norwood, MA 02062
(781) 769-9750, ext. 4002; or
Portland House, Stag Place,
London SW1E 5XA, UK
+44 (0) 171 973 8077.