Physics 384

Problem Set 8: Solutions

1. We are asked to find the potential between two concentric cylinders, and
hence we need the form of the solution of Laplaces equation in polar coordinates, which is

(r, ) = c0 + d0 ln(r) +

(cm r + dm r

) cos(m) +

m=1

(fm rm + gm rm ) sin(m)

m=1

Now, we need to apply the boundary conditions to this general solution.

Firstly we note that at r = a, the potential is constant, and hence we must
have that there is no contribution from sin(m) or cos(m) terms, i.e.
c0 + d0 ln(a) = V0
cm am + dm am = 0
fm am + gm am = 0.
We now consider the boundary conditions at r = b and note that these have
an angular dependence, but that (b, ) is even in , hence sin(m) terms
cannot contribute, and hence
fm bm + gm bm = 0,
which implies fm = gm = 0 for all m. Thus we have that
(b, ) = c0 + d0 ln(b) +

(cm bm + dm bm ) cos(m),

m=1

and this is a Fourier series in , so we can use this to determine the coefficients
(and noting that (b, ) is even simplifies the integrals)
Z
Z
2
2 2
V0
V0 = 0,
c0 + d0 ln(b) =
0
2
hence c0 = d0 ln(b), and we also have that c0 = V0 d0 ln(a), so
c0 =

V0 ln(b)

,
ln ab

d0 =
1

V0

.
ln ab

Turning to the remainder of the coefficients:

Z
Z
2
2 2
m
m
V0 cos(m)
V0 cos(m)
cm b + d m b
=
0
2
(Z
)
Z
2
2V0
cos(m)
=
cos(m)

0
2
o

2V0 n

2
[sin(m)]0 [sin(m)]
=
2
m
h


 m i
2V0
m
=
sin
sin(m) + sin
m
2
2
 m 
4V0
sin
=
m
2

0,
if m even
=
4V0
j
(1) , if m = 2j + 1 odd
(2j+1)
Thus we have
d2j+1 = c2j+1 a4j+2


4V0
2j+1
j
2j+1
d2j+1 = b
(1) c2j+1 b
(2j + 1)
which we can solve to get
c2j+1

4V0
b2j+1
j
=
(1) 4j+2
,
(2j + 1)
b
a4j+2

d2j+1

4j+2 2j+1
4V0
b
j a
=
(1) 4j+2
,
(2j + 1)
b
a4j+2

and hence we get our full solution

 r  4V X


V0
b2j+1
(1)j
0
2j+1
4j+2 (2j+1)


(r, ) =
ln
+
r

a
r
cos((2j + 1))
b
j=0 2j + 1 b4j+2 a4j+2
ln ab
2. a) We consider a rod of length L, with both ends held at temperature
T0 . Thus, to get the temperature distibution in the rod, we should solve the
diffusion equation
T
D2 T
= 0.
t
Write T (x, t) = T0 + T(x, t), and T clearly also satisfies the diffusion equation,
with T(0, t) = T(L, t) = 0. Using separation of variables, write T(x, t) =
X(x)(t), in which case
X 00

= 0,
X
D
2

and introducing a separation constant k 2 , we get X 00 = k 2 X, = k 2 D,

so we have the solutions
2

(t) = eDk t ,

X(x) = A cos(kx) + B sin(kx).

Applying the boundary conditions on T implies A = 0 and sin(kL) = 0, so

the allowed values of k are k = n/L, and the general solution for T (x, t) is
T (x, t) = T0 +

An sin

n=1

 nx 
L

eDk t .

We now apply the initial conditions to determine the coefficients in the

Fourier series:
Z
 nx 
2 L
dx(T (x, 0) T0 ) sin
An =
L 0
L
(Z L
)
Z L

 nx 

2
22
nx
=
dx x sin
dx (L x) sin
T1
+
L
LL
L
L
0
2
(
L
Z L
 nx  2
 nx 
2
4T1
L
L
x
cos
dx
cos
=

+
L2
n
L
n 0
L
0
)

Z L
 nx L
 nx 
L
L

+ (L x) cos
dx cos
n
L
n L2
L
L
2

 n 
 n 
4T1
L2
L2
=
cos
+
cos

L2
2n
2
2n
2
)

 2 h 

2h
 nx iL
L
L
nx i L2

sin
sin
+
L
n
L
n
L
0
2


8T1
n
=
sin
,
2
(n)
2


n1
= (1) 2 if n odd, and 0 if n is even. Thus
and sin n
2
An =

n1
8T1
(1) 2 ,
2
(n)

so if n = 2j + 1, then



2
8T1 X ()j
(2j + 1)x 2 (2j+1)
Dt
L2
sin
e
T (x, t) = T0 + 2
.
j=0 (2j + 1)2
L
3

b) i) Now, we are given

d2 T1 (x)
= (x),
dx2
and to solve this, we introduce a Greens function G(x|) which satisfies the
equation
d2
D 2 G(x|) = (x ),
dx
and then
Z
D

d G(x|)(),

T1 (x) =
0

and
d2 T1 (x)
D
=
dx2

Z
0



Z L
d2
d D 2 G(x|) () =
d(x )() = (x).
dx
0

Now, we need to solve for G(x|); we note that G has Dirichlet boundary
conditions, and that
d2 G
= 0,
dx2
for x 6= . Hence

Ax + B, 0 < x <
G(x|) =
Cx + D, < x < L
Now, G(0|) = G(L|) = 0, hence B = 0 and CL + D = 0, and applying continuity at x = gives A = C(L ), which in combination with integrating
the given equation in a small interval about x = :


dG 
dG 
1

= ,


dx x=+
dx x=
D
gives (as we have seen previously)
A=

(L )
,
DL

and hence

(
G(x|) =

C=

(L)x
,
DL
(Lx)
,
DL

,
DL

0<x<
<x<L

ii) Having determined the Greens function in part i), we can now find the
temperature distribution T1 (x) when (x) = x by using
Z

dG(x|)().

T1 (x) =
0

This gives us
Z L
(L )x
(L x)
d
+
T1 (x) =
d
DL
DL
x
0
(

L 
L )
x 1 2
1
1
=
x (L x) + 2 L 3
DL 3
2
3 x
x
x 2
(L x2 ).
=
6D
Z

3. a) The given boundary conditions imply T (r, , t) = T0 at r = a and the

T
insulation at r = b implies n
= 0, i.e.
r
T
(b, , t) = 0.
r
b) The diffusion equation is
T
D2 T = 0,
t
and to solve the problem, write
T (r, , t) = T0 + T(r, , t),
in which case T also satisifies the diffusion equation:
T
D2 T = 0,
t
and the boundary conditions become
T(a, , t) = 0
T
(b, , t) = 0.
r
5

Use separation of variables to write T(r, , t) = (t)(r, ) and then the

diffusion equation takes the form
2

= 0.
D

Introduce a separation constant k 2 , then

+ k 2 D = 0,
and we can solve to get
(t) = ek

2 Dt

Now, noting that in cylindrical co-ordinates

2 =

1
1 2
r + 2 2,
r r r r

we are left to solve



1
1 2
r + 2 2 (r, ) + k 2 (r, ) = 0.
r r r r
Try writing (r, ) = R(r)A(), then


1
d d
A00
2 2
r r +k r R+
= 0.
R dr dr
A
Introduce a second separation constant m2 , and then
A00 + m2 A = 0,
and

d dR
r
+ (k 2 r2 m2 )R = 0,
dr dr
and the first of these equations can be solved to give
r

A() = cos(m) + sin(m),

and requiring that A is single-valued, i.e. A( + 2) = A() implies that m
is an integer.
6

The radial equation is Bessels equation which has solutions

R(r) = Jm (kr) + Nm (kr).
The boundary conditions discussed in part a) imply that R(a) = 0 and
R0 (b) = 0. The first condition thus implies
Jm (ka) + Nm (ka) = 0,
or
=

Jm (ka)
,
Nm (ka)

and thus we may write ((r) is to be distinguished from (r, ) introduced

above)
(r) = Nm (ka)Jm (kr) Jm (ka)Nm (kr).
The second condition gives an eigenvalue equation for kmn which are the
solutions of the equation
0
0
Nm (kmn a)Jm
(kmn b) Jm (kmn a)Nm
(kmn b) = 0.

Using linear superposition, the general form of T (r, , t) consistent with the
boundary conditions is
T (r, , t) = T0 + T(r, , t)
X

X
2 t
m (kmn r) [Amn cos(m) + Bmn sin(m)] eDkmn(1)
,
= T0 +
n=1 m=0

where
m (kr) = Nm (ka)Jm (kr) Jm (ka)Nm (kr),
and the kmn are expressed in the eigenvalue equation given above.
c) We are given that T (r, , 0) = T1 . Comparing this to the expression in
part b) we get
T1 T0 =

m (kmn r) [Amn cos(m) + Bmn sin(m)] .

n=1 m=0

The left hand side is an even function of and hence Bmn = 0 for all m and
n. The left hand side is also independent of and hence only the m = 0
term can contribute to the sum, so Amn = 0 is m 6= 0. Hence we have

An 0 (kn r) = T1 T0 ,

n=1

where An = A0n and kn = k0n . The 0 are the solutions of a Sturm-Liouville

problem and hence are orthogonal for different kn , so we determine that
Rb
dr r (T1 T0 )0 (kn r)
An = a R b
,
2
dr
r
[
(k
r)]
0
n
a
so we may write
T (r, , t) = T0 +

An 0 (kn r)eDkn t ,

n=1

as required, with An given above and kn = k0n .

4. We are asked to find the allowed modes and their associated frequencies
for sound waves in a pipe of length L and radius a which is open at both ends.
In solving the wave equation in a cylindrical geometry we can use separation
of variables to write
(r, t) = S(r)T (t),
where is the velocity potential. Subsitution into the wave equation
2

1 2u
= 0,
c2 t2

and following the steps outlined in the lecture notes leads to



S(r) = v0 a0 Jm (qr) [A cos(m) + B sin(m)] Ceikz + Deikz ,
where m is an integer (required for the solution to be single valued). The
radial solution contains the origin, hence there is only a Bessel function and
no Neumann function, and the boundary condition on the surface of the pipe
= 0, corresponding to /r = 0 and hence dJm (qr)/dr|r=a = 0,
is that n
8

0
which implies qa = mn , the nth zero of Jm
. The frequency of a mode is given
by
2 = c2 (q 2 + kz2 ).

The boundary condition at each end of the pipe that follows from the pipe
being open is that the fluctuations in the pressure (p1 ) vanish at z = 0 and
L. This corresponds to




=
= 0,
p1
t z=0
t z=L
which gives
C + D = 0,
and
Ceikz L + Deikz L = 0,
so sin(kz L) = 0, which implies
kz =

p
,
L

where p is an integer.
Thus the normal modes are of the form


 pz 
cos(m)
,
S(r) = v0 a0 Jm (qmn r)
sin
sin(m)
L
with frequencies
r
=c

2
p2 2
mn
+
.
a2
L2