Thread: Electromagnetic radiation

I'm setting up a project about electromagnetic radiation,
but I can find very few information about scientists 'proving' or 'trying to prove' the existence of electromagnetic radiation.
Neither can I find information about scientific research about electromagnetic radiation.

Could someone give me some clue's where to start ?

You might want to rummage around in here:
http://www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/hist.htm

GREAT link, exactly what i needed, thank you very much. :-D

Originally Posted by Aero

I'm setting up a project about electromagnetic radiation,
but I can find very few information about scientists 'proving' or 'trying to prove' the existence of electromagnetic radiation.
Neither can I find information about scientific research about electromagnetic radiation.

Could someone give me some clue's where to start ?

If you want to prove the existgence of electromagnetic radiation you can do any of the following:

turn on a flashlight
listen to the radio
make a call on your cell phone
push the button on a garage door opener
use a laser pointer
open your eyes and see an image of anything
note the static on am radio when lightning flashes
tie into the internet on a WiFi connection

If you are interested in the science behind electromagnetic radiation look at any book on the subject. Here are some:

Engineering Electromagnetics -- Hayt
Fields and Waves in Communication Electronics -- Ramo, Whinnery and Van Duzer
Classical Electromagnetic Radiation -- Marion
Classical Electrodynamics -- Jackson
The Classical Theory of Fields -- Landau and Lifshitz

You don't see discussions of cutting edge research because this material was developed and settled in the late 19th century.

There is electrical engineering work involving antennas, but no new physics to speak of.

If you are interested in the modern quantum theory, called quantum electrodynamics, then there are some accounts at a popular level. Probably the best is QED by Richard Feynman. Along with Schwinger and Tomogawa, Feynman received the Nobel prize for establishing the foundations of the subject and it is Feynman's formulaton that has survived and dominates the field today.

Modern texts on that subject are fairly complicated and require quite a bit of mathematical background, but are available. Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell by Zee is well regarded, and there other books available such as Weinberb's three volume The Quantum Theory of Fields. These are all very advanced books, and not for the faint of heart.