Magnetic current

Magnetic current is, nominally, a current composed of fictitious moving magnetic monopoles. It has the unit volt. The usual symbol for magnetic current is ${\displaystyle k}$, which is analogous to ${\displaystyle i}$ for electric current. Magnetic currents produce an electric field analogously to the production of a magnetic field by electric currents. Magnetic current density, which has the unit V/m² (volt per square meter), is usually represented by the symbols ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {M}}^{\text{t}}}$ and ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {M}}^{\text{i}}}$. The superscripts indicate total and impressed magnetic current density. The impressed currents are the energy sources. In many useful cases, a distribution of electric charge can be mathematically replaced by an equivalent distribution of magnetic current. This artifice can be used to simplify some electromagnetic field problems. It is possible to use both electric current densities and magnetic current densities in the same analysis.^: 138

The direction of the electric field produced by magnetic currents is determined by the left-hand rule (opposite direction as determined by the right-hand rule) as evidenced by the negative sign in the equation