
326 Basics of Magnetostatics
and because of eq. (5.21)
which makes the eqs. (5.163) plausible.
The fields lines run entirely on the surface , i.e., on toroidal,
rotationally symmetric surfaces with a cross section for example, as shown in
Fig. 5.60. Thus, a given force line never leaves this surface. There is no azimuthal
field if and then, all field lines lie on the surface When
superposing azimuthal fields , then the field lines spiral around the toroidal
surfaces This makes it possible that the field lines close
themselves after a number of loops. However, that has to be regarded as the
exception. We emphasize this here because of the frequent misconception that in
order for B to be source free, the B lines have to either close or go to infinity. This
is wrong. Field lines can remain in the finite space and still never close up, for
example, on a toroidal surface as in Fig. 5.60 whereby filling the surface arbitrarily
dense. We could rightfully state that a field line, when it does not close, creates the
toroidal surface (the so-called magnetic surface). Of course, if we were to trace a
field line from a starting point through sufficiently many loops, then we would find
that this line will come arbitrarily close to the starting point and thus, the line
“nearly” closes.
5.11.3 Examples
5.11.3.1 Cylinder with an Azimuthal Surface Current
Consider a cylinder of radius carrying the azimuthal surface current ,
where
.
(5.164)
Then one writes for in the regions 1 and 2 (shown in Fig. 5.61)
B
ϕ
µ
0
I
2πr
---------
µ
0
2πF
2πr
-----------------
µ
0
F
r
----------== =
A
ϕ
φ
2πr
---------
2πG
2πr
-----------
G
r
----== =
Grz,() const.=
Frz,() 0= ϕ const.=
F 0≠
Grz,() const.=
Fig. 5.60
z
Grz,() const.=
r
0
k
ϕ
z()
k
ϕ
z() k
ϕ
z–()=
A
ϕ