Jackson 4.

1 Homework Problem Solution

Dr. Christopher S. Baird
University of Massachusetts Lowell
PROBLEM:
Calculate the multipole moments q
lm
of the charge distributions shown as parts a and b. Try to obtain
results for the non-vanishing moments valid for all l, but in each case find the first two sets of non-
vanishing moments at the very least.
(a) (b)
(c) For the charge distribution of the second set b) write down the multipole expansion for the potential.
Keeping only the lowest-order term in the expansion, plot the potential in the x-y plane as a function of
distance from the origin for distances greater than a.
(d) Calculate directly from Coulombs law the exact potential for b) in the x-y plane. Plot it as a
function of distance and compare with the result found in part c).
SOLUTION:
(a) The charge density is written down in spherical coordinates as:
p=
q
a
2
6 (ra)6 (cos0)6()6 (3/ 2)6()+6 (/ 2)|
Plug this into the multipole moments definition and evaluate:
q
lm
=

Y
lm
*
(0 ' , ' )r '
l
p(x ' )d x'
q
lm
=
q
a
2

Y
lm
*
(0' ,' )r '
l
6(r ' a)6(cos0 ' )6(' )6('3/ 2)6(')+6('/ 2)| d x '
q
lm
=q a
l

0
2

Y
lm
*
(0' ,') 6(cos 0' )6(' )6('3/ 2)6(')+6(' / 2)|sin0' d 0 ' d '
y
z
x
q
q
-q
-q
y
z
x
q
q
-2 q
a
a
a
a
a
a
q
lm
=q a
l
.
2l +1
4 .
(l m) !
(l +m) !
P
l
m
(0)

0
2
e
i m'
6(' )6(' 3/ 2)6(' )+6('/ 2)| d '
q
lm
=q a
l
.
2l +1
4
.
(l m) !
(l +m) !
P
l
m
(0) 1i
m
(1)
m
+(1)
m
i
m
|
q
lm
=q a
l
.
2l +1
4
.
(l m) !
(l +m) !
P
l
m
(0)(1(1)
m
)(1i
m
)
q
lm
=2q a
l
.
2l +1
4
.
(l m)!
(l +m)!
P
l
m
( 0)(1i
m
) if m is odd, q
lm
= 0 if m is even
This is the solution valid for all l.
Let us write out the first few multipoles explicitly to see what this means.
The monopole moment is:
q
00
=0
because m is even
This makes sense because the total charge is zero.
The dipole moments are:
q
1,1
=qa
.
3
2
(1+i )
q
1,0
=0
q
11
=q a
.
3
2
(1+i )
Put these together into the Cartesian dipole moment vector:
p=p
x

i + p
y

j +p
z

k
p=
.
2
3
(( q
1, 1
q
11
)

i i (q
1,1
+q
11
)

j +.2q
10

k)
p=2q a(

i +

j )
The quadrupole moments are:
q
2,2
=0
q
2,1
=0
q
2,0
=0
q
21
=0
q
2,2
=0
The problem asks us for the first two sets of non-vanishing moments, so we have to keep going.
The non-zero octupole moments are:
q
3,3
=qa
3
.
35
16
(1i )
q
3,1
=qa
3
.
21
16
(1i )
q
31
=q a
3
.
21
16
(1i )
q
33
=q a
3
.
35
16
(1i )
(b) The charge density is written down in spherical coordinates as:
p=
q
2a
2
6(r a)6(cos 01)+6(cos0+1)|
2q
4 r
2
6(r)
Plug this into the multipole moments definition and evaluate:
q
lm
=

Y
lm
*
(0 ' , ' )r '
l
p(x ' )d x'
q
lm
=

Y
lm
*
(0 ' , ' ) r '
l

q
2a
2
6(r 'a)6(cos0' 1)+6(cos0 '+1)|
2q
4r '
2
6(r ' )| d x '
q
lm
=
q
2

0
2

Y
lm
*
(0' , ' )a
l
6(cos 0'1)+6(cos0' +1)|sin 0' d 0' d '

2q
4

0
2

Y
lm
*
(0 ' , ' ) r '
l
6( r ' )sin 0' d r ' d 0 ' d '
Expand the spherical harmonics and try to do the integral over the azimuthal coordinate. We find that it
vanishes except for when m = 0. This makes sense because the problem has azimuthal symmetry. In the
second integral, all terms disappear except for l = 0.
q
lm
=6
m ,0

qa
l
.
2l +1
4
1+(1)
l
|6
l ,0
q
.
1

|
This becomes more clear if we break this into different cases, including the simplest monopoles first:
q
00
=0
q
10
=q
1,1
=q
11
=0
q
20
=
.
5

qa
2

q
2,2
=q
2,1
=q
2,1
=q
2,2
=0
q
3,3
=q
3, 2
=q
3,1
=q
3,0
=q
3,1
=q
3,2
=q
3,3
=0
q
40
=
.
9

qa
4
and all higher terms can be expressed as:
q
lm
=
.
2l +1

q a
l
if m = 0 and l = even, q
lm
= 0 otherwise
(c) For the charge distribution of the second set b) write down the multipole expansion for the potential.
Keeping only the lowest-order term in the expansion, plot the potential in the x-y plane as a function of
distance from the origin for distances greater than a.
The multipole expansion of the potential is:
4=
1
4c
0

l=0

m=l
l
4
2l +1
q
lm
r
l1
Y
lm
(0 , )
4=
1
4c
0

4
5
q
20
1
r
3
Y
20
(0 ,)+
4
9
q
40
1
r
5
Y
40
(0 , )+

l =6, even

4
2l +1
q
l , 0
Y
l0
(0 ,)
r
l +1
|
4=
q
4c
0
a
(
a
r
)
3
(3cos
2
01)+
(
a
r
)
5
1
4
(35cos
4
020cos
2
0+3)+2

l =6, even

(
a
r
)
l +1
P
l
(0 ,)
|
Now if r is much greater than a, then (a/r) is much less than one and (a/r) raised to higher powers is
even smaller, so that we only need to keep the first term.
4=
q
4c
0
a
(
a
r
)
3
(3cos
2
01)
In the x-y plane this becomes:
4=
q
4c
0
a
(
a
r
)
3
We can plot the potential
in units of (-q/4
0
a) and
the distance in unit of a:
(d) Calculate directly from Coulombs law the exact potential for b) in the x-y plane. Plot it as a
function of distance and compare with the result found in part c).
We have three points charge and can write out an exact solution for the point charges:
4=
q
4c
0

1
r+a z
+
1
ra z

2
r
|
In the x-y plane this becomes:
4=
2 q
4c
0

1
.r
2
+a
2

1
r |
4=
q
4c
0
a
2
(r / a)

2
.
(r / a)
2
+1
|
It becomes apparent now that the first term in the multipole expansion is a good approximation to as
close as r = 2a, but becomes inaccurate closer than that.
Dividing out the asymptotic form (a
3
/r
3
) lets us compare them for clearly:
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2