Physics 606: Electrodynamics Homework 3

Due: Monday, October 4

Problem 1: Crazy sphere problem

A spherical surface of radius R has charge uniformly distributed over its

surface with a density Q/(4πR2 ), except for a spherical cap at the north pole,
defined by the cone θ = α.
(a) Show that the potential inside the spherical surface can be expressed as
∞
QX 1 rl
Φ= [Pl+1 (cos α) − Pl−1 (cos α)] l+1 Pl (cos θ) (1)
2 i=0 2l + 1 R

where, for l = 0, Pl−1 (cos α) = −1. What is the potential outside?

(b) Find the magnitude and the direction of the electric field at the origin.
(c) Discuss the limiting forms of the potential (a) and electric field (b) as the
spherical cap becomes (1) very small and (2) so large that the area with charge
on it becomes a very small cap at the south pole.

Problem 2: A disk

A thin, flat conducting circular disk of radius R is located in the xy−plane

with its center at the origin and is maintained at a fixed potential V . With the
information that the charge density on a disk at fixed potential is proportional
to (R2 − ρ2 )−1/2 , where ρ is the distance from the center of the disk,
(a) Show that, for r > R, the potential is
∞  2l
2V R X (−1)l R
Φ= P2l (cos θ). (2)
π r 2l + 1 r
l=0

(b) Find the potential for r < R.

(c) What is the capacitance of the disk?

Problem 3: Dirichlet Green’s function

The Dirichlet Green function for the unbounded space between the planes at
z = 0 and z = L allows discussion of a point charge or a distribution of charge
between parallel conducting planes held at zero potential.

1
(a) Using cylindrical coordinates show that one form of the Green function is
∞ ∞  
′ 4 X X im(φ−φ′ )  nπz  nπz ′  nπρ 
<
 nπρ 
>
G(r, r ) = e sin sin Im Km
L n=1 m=−∞ L L L L
(3)
(b) Show that an alternative form of the Green function is
∞ ∞
sinh(kz< ) sinh[k(L − z> )]
Z
X ′
G(r, r′ ) = 2 dk eim(φ−φ ) Jm (kρ)Jm (kρ′ )
m=−∞ 0 sinh(kL)
(4)

Problem 4: Hole

An infinite thin plane sheet of conducting material has a circular hole of

radius a cut in it. A thin flat disk of the same material and slightly smaller
radius lies in the plane, filling the hole, but separated from the sheet by a very
narrow insulating ring. The disk is maintained at fixed potential V while the
infinite sheet is kept at zero potential.
(a) Using appropriate cylindrical coordinates, find an integral expression involv-
ing Bessel functions for the potential at any point above the plane.
(b) Show that the potential a perpendicular distance z above the center of the
disk is  
z
Φ=V 1− √ (5)
a2 + z 2
(c) Show that the potential a perpendicular distance z above the edge of the
disk is  
V kz
Φa (z) = 1− K(k) (6)
2 πa
√
where k = 2a/ z 2 + 4a2 and K(k) is the complete elliptic integral of the first
kind (look this up).