6.9: The Magnetic Field H
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If you look at the various formulas for the magnetic field B near various geometries of conductor, such as equations 6.5.3, 6.6.2, 6.7.1, 6.8.4, you will see that there is always a μ on the right hand side. It is often convenient to define a quantity H=B/μ. Then these equations become just
H=I2πa,
H=I2a,
H=NIa22(1[a2+(c−x)2]3/2+1[a2+(c+x)2]3/2),
H=nI.
It is easily seen from any of these equations that the SI units of Hare A m−1, or amps per metre, and the dimensions are QT−1M−1.
Of course the magnetic field, whether represented by the quantity B or by H, is a vector quantity, and the relation between the two representations can be written
B=μH.
In an isotropic medium B and H are parallel, but in an anisotropic medium they are not parallel (except in the directions of the eigenvectors of the permeability tensor), and permeability is a tensor. This was discussed in section 1.7.1 with respect to the equation D=ϵE.