Physics 6346, Electromagnetic Theory I Fall 2000 Homework 1 Solutions (Revised 9/5/00) 1. Review of vector calculus.

Prove the following identities from vector calculus: (a) (b) (c) (d) ( ( =0 A) = 0 A) = ( A)
2

A B)

(A B) = B (

A) A (

Solution. This is standard material. If you had trouble, please review a textbook on mathematical methods, such as Arfken or Boas. 2. Curvilinear coordinates. We will often work in coordinate systems other that rectangular coordinatesfor instance, in cylindrical or spherical coordinates. Explicit forms of vector operations in these coordinate systems are on the inside back cover of Jackson. Here well review how this is done. A good discussion can be found in Morse and Feshbach, 1.3. We want to go from the rectangular coordinates (x, y, z) to a new set of coordinates (1 , 2 , 3 ). An innitesimal displacement dr along the curve r(1 , 2 , 3 ) is given by dr = r r r d1 + d2 + d3 . 1 2 3 (1)

If we vary 1 while holding 2 and 3 xed, then r/1 is tangent to r along this curve; likewise for 2 and 3 . If e1 is a unit vector along this direction, then we can write r/1 = h1 e1 , with h1 = |r/1 |; similarly, r/2 = h2 e2 , with h2 = |r/2 |, and r/3 = h1 e3 , with h3 = |r/3 |. The quantities (h1 , h2 , h3 ) are called scale factors. If (e1 , e2 , e3 ) are orthogonal at each point in space, then we have an orthogonal coordinate system. In this coordinate system an element of arclength ds is given by
2 2 2 ds2 = dx2 + dy 2 + dz 2 = h2 d1 + h2 d2 + h2 d3 , 1 2 3

(2)

where the scale factors hn are given by h2 = n x n

y n

z n

(3)

In terms of the scale factors, the volume element in the new coordinate system is dV = h1 h2 h3 d1 d2 d3 , (4)

the gradient of a scalar function is = and the Laplacian of is

1 1 1 e1 + e2 + e3 , h1 1 h2 2 h3 3

(5)

1 h1 h2 h3 1
2

h2 h3 h1 1

h3 h1 h2 2

h1 h2 h3 3

(6)

Find dV ,

, and

in the following coordinate systems:

(a) Cylindrical: x = cos , y = sin , z = z. (b) Spherical: x = r sin cos , y = r sin sin , z = r cos . (c) Parabolic cylindrical coordinates: x = (1/2)(u2 v 2 ), y = uv, z = z. Solution. The results for cylindrical and spherical coordinates can be found in textbooks and Jackson. For parabolic cylinder coordinates, we have (1 , 2 , 3 ) = (u, v, z), with the scale factors h1 = h2 = u2 + v 2 , h3 = 1, and orthogonal unit vectors (eu , ev , ez ). Then dV = (u2 + v 2 )du dv dz, and =
2

u2

1 + v2

eu + ev + ez , u v z 2 2 2 + + 2. u2 v 2 z

(7) (8)

1 2 + v2 u

3. Dirac delta function. (a) Jacksons Problem 1.2 gives a possible representation of the Dirac function, in terms of a Gaussian. Give at least two other representations (you may have already encountered the square box, the Lorentzian, and the sinc function, but you can also be creative). Make sure to normalize your function properly. Solution. For the Gaussian, we have (x) = 1 x2 /2 2 e , 2 (9)

in the limit that 0. If you plot this youll see that the function becomes narrower and higher as 0. You can also try the Lorentzian, (x) = or the sinc function, (x) = with 0 in both cases. 2 1 sin(x/ ) , x (11) 1 x2 +
2

(10)

(b) Using the result of Jacksons 1.2, express the three dimensional function in cylindrical and spherical coordinates. Solution. If you work through Jackson 1.2, youll nd that in an orthogonal coordinate system (1 , 2 , 3 ), the Dirac delta function can be written as (3) (x x ) = 1 (1 1 )(2 2 )(3 3 ). h1 h2 h3 (12)

In cylindrical coordinates, (1 , 2 , 3 ) = (, , z), and h1 = 1, h2 = , and h3 = 1, so that ( ) ( ) (z z ) (3) (x x ) = . (13) In spherical coordinates, (1 , 2 , 3 ) = (r, , ), and h1 = 1, h2 = r, and h3 = r sin , so that (r r ) ( ) ( ) . (14) (3) (x x ) = r2 sin This is often written in the following form: (3) (x x ) = See p. 120 in Jackson. 4. Simple applications of Gausss law. The following charge distributions are highly symmetric; the electric elds produced by them are easily calculated using Gausss law in integral form. You should be able to do these in your sleep (of course, as a rst year graduate student youre probably not sleeping much). Calculate the electric eld (magnitude and direction) in each case, being careful to spell out all steps. (a) A point charge q. Solution. These are all standard exercises, which can be found in any introductory text, so Ill simply quote the result. If you had diculty, please review and see me. For a point charge, q er . (16) E(x) = 4 0 r2 (b) A sphere of radius R with a uniform charge density (nd the eld both inside and outside the sphere). Solution. (r/3 0 )er r<R E(x) = (17) 3 2 (R /3 0 r )er r > R. (c) An innite line of charge with charge per unit length . Solution. er . E(x) = 2 0 r 3 (r r ) (cos cos ) ( ) . r2 (15)

(18)

(d) An innite cylinder of radius R with a uniform charge density (nd the eld both inside and outside the cylinder). Solution. (r/2 0 )er r<R E(x) = (19) 2 (R /2 0 r)er r > R. 5. Use Gausss law to prove the following statements about conductors (essentially Jackson 1.1): (a) Any excess charge placed on a conductor must lie entirely on its surface. Solution. First, recall that in equilibrium the electric eld inside a conductor is zero. Why? Suppose that the eld were initially nonzero; any charges in the interior would then move in response to the eld (since this is a conductor). After some relaxation time this process stops, since the moving charges produce currents which dissipate energy. The nal conguration is one in which the charges have been arranged so that the eld in the interior is zero. Since E = 0 everywhere inside the conductor, from Gausss Law the charge density = 0 everywhere in the interior. Therefore any excess charge can only reside on the surface of the conductor. (b) A closed, hollow conductor shields its interior from elds due to charges outside, but does not shield its exterior from the elds due to charges placed within it. Solution. Lets start with the second part. Consider a positive charge Q placed inside a hollow conductor as shown in the gure below. The charge induces a charge density on the interior surface of the conductor in such a way that the electric eld in the interior of the conductor is zero (the net charge on the interior surface must be Q). Assuming that the conductor is charge neutral, this means that there is an induced charge density on the exterior surface of total charge Q. If we apply Gausss Law to the Gaussian surface G surrounding the conductor, the total charge enclosed is still Q, and there is therefore an electric eld outside the conductor.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Q
-

Next, consider some charge exterior to the conductor, which produces an electric eld, as shown sketched in the gure. The electric eld in the conductor is zero, with induced charge densities on the exterior and interior surfaces of the conductor. Now imagine moving a charge on the interior surface from point A to point B along path 2 which goes through the conductor itself. Since E = 0 in the conductor, 2 E dl = 0 along this path. Next, move the same charge from A to B along path 1, in the interior cavity of the conductor. Since the electrostatic eld is conservative, the line integral 1 E dl = 0 along this path also. In fact, this must be true for any path which we chose in the interior, so we have quite generally E = 0 in the interiorthe conductor shields its interior from elds due to charges placed outside. This is the principle behind the Faraday cage.

A 1 B 2

(c) The electric eld at the exterior surface of a charged conductor is normal to the surface and has a magnitude (x)/ 0 , where (x) is the local surface charge density. Solution. First, we note that in equilibrium the eld at exterior surface must be normal to the surfacea component tangent to the surface would cause charges to move on the surface, until they had arranged themselves so that the tangential component is zero. Once weve established this result, the magnitude of the eld is derived by using Gausss Law with a Gaussian pillbox which cuts through the surface. The electric eld is zero on the conducting side of the pillbox, so E nda = EA, with A the area on the surface (note that for a sheet of charge this becomes 2EA, where the factor of two comes from the two side of the sheet). Setting this equal to Q/ 0 , and then dividing by A, we obtain the desired result.