Classical Mechanics

Solution Set 14
Due: 4 December 2013
52. G. Problem 10.14.
Solution: Write out the energy as a curve in phase space:
p
2
2m

k
|x|
= E < 0, p =

2mk
|x|
+ 2mE (1)
The turning points are x = k/|E|. The action variable is
2I =
_
dxp = 4
_
k/|E|
0
dx
_
2mk
x
+ 2mE = 4k
_
2m
E
_
1
0
duu
1/2
(1 u)
1/2
= 4k
_
2m
E
(1/2)(3/2)
(2)
= 2k
_
2m
E
E =
2mk
2
I
2
, w =
dE
dI
=
4mk
2
I
3
=
4m
k
_
E
2m
_
3/2
=
_
2E
3
mk
2
=
2
T
T = 2
_
mk
2
2E
3
(2)
53. G. Problem 10.22.
Solution: Separating rst in the xy cartesian system we have E
x
= I
x
, E
y
= I
y
and
therefore
S
0
=
_
x
dx

_
2mI
x
m
2

2
x
2
+
_
y
dy

_
2mI
y
m
2

2
y
2
(3)
so the angle variables are
w
x
=
S
0
I
x
= arcsin x
_
m
2I
x
, x =
_
2I
x
m
sin w
x
, p
x
=
_
2mI
x
cos w
x
w
y
=
S
0
I
y
= arcsin y
_
m
2I
y
, y =
_
2I
y
m
sin w
y
, p
y
=
_
2mI
y
cos w
y
1
with exactly analogous relations for the x

separation. Then we have

tanw

x
= m
x

x
= m
xcos +y sin
p
x
cos +p
y
sin
=

I
x
sin w
x
cos +
_
I
y
sin w
y
sin

I
x
cos w
x
cos +
_
I
y
cos w
y
sin
tan w

y
= m
y

y
= m
y cos xsin
p
y
cos p
x
sin
=
_
I
y
sin w
y
cos

I
x
sin w
x
sin
_
I
y
cos w
y
cos

I
x
cos w
x
sin
I

x
=
mx
2
2
+
p
2
x
2m
= I
x
cos
2
+I
y
sin
2
+ 2
_
I
x
I
y
cos(w
x
w
y
) sin cos
I

y
=
my
2
2
+
p
2
y
2m
= I
y
cos
2
+I
x
sin
2
2
_
I
x
I
y
cos(w
x
w
y
) sin cos (4)
The relation is quite complicated, but we note the simple consequence that I
x
+I
y
= I

x
+I

y
54. G. Problem 10.26.
Solution: The Lagrangian of this top is
L

=
I

1
2
(

2
+
2
sin
2
) +
I
3
2
(

+ cos )
2
Mgd cos (5)
where the moments of inertia are about the xed point and the center of mass is a distance
d from the xed point. The momenta and Hamiltonian are
p

= I

, p

= I
3
(

+ cos ), p

= I

1
sin
2
+p

cos
H =
p
2

2I

1
+
(p

cos )
2
2I

1
+
p
2

2I
3
+Mgd cos (6)
Because the hamiltonian is independent of t, , we may write S = () +p

+p

Et
so the H-J equation is simply
E =

2
2I

1
+
(p

cos )
2
2I

1
+
p
2

2I
3
+Mgd cos
() =
_

0
d

2I

1
E (p

cos

)
2

1
p
2

I
3
2I

1
Mgd cos

(7)
The new momenta can be taken as E, p

, p

, and their conjugate coordinates must be time

independent. In particular
Q
S
E
= t +

E
= t +I

1
_

0
d

_
2I

1
E (p

cos

)
2

1
p
2

I
3
2I

1
Mgd cos

_
1/2
(8)
must be time independent. This is equivalent to Eq.(5.63).
2