Physics 505, Classical Electrodynamics

Homework 1 Due Thursday, 16th September 2004

Jacob Lewis Bourjaily
1. Symmetric Greens Functions a) Any Greens function, G(x, x ), which satises Dirichlet boundary conditions is automatically symmetric: G(x, x ) = G(x , x). proof: Let us say that the Greens function G(x, x ) satises Dirichlet boundary conditions. That is, for a compact, bounded region with boundary , G(x, x ) = 0 x . Because G(x, x ) is a scalar eld, Greens theorem implies that G(x, y)
2

G(x , y) G(x , y)

G(x, y) d3 y =

G(x, y)

G(x , y) G(x , y) G(x, y) da. n n

Now, because G(x, x ) satises Dirichlet boundary conditions, the surface integral on the right hand side of the expression above vanishes identically so that G(x, y)
2

G(x , y) G(x , y)
2

G(x, y) d3 y = 0.

By the denition of a Greens function, that G(x, y)

2

G(x, y) = 4 (3) (x y). Therefore, we see G(x, y) (3) (x y) G(x , y) (3) (x y) d3 y,

G(x , y) G(x , y)

G(x, y) d3 y = 4

= 4 (G(x, x ) G(x , x)) = 0, G(x, x ) = G(x , x).

o

b) For any Greens function, G(x, x ), which satises Neumann boundary conditions, there exists a symmetric Greens function G(x, x ) which satises the same boundary conditions. proof: Let us say that the Greens function G(x, x ) satises Neumann boundary conditions. That is, for a compact, bounded region with boundary , we have that n G(x, x ) = 4/S x where S is the surface area of the boundary . Recall that for any Greens function G(x, x ), the function G(x, x ) = G(x, x ) + F (x, x ) is another Greens function if F (x, x ) satises the Laplace equation. In general, however, G(x, x ) will not satisfy the same boundary conditions of G(x, x ). If G(x, x ) is to satisfy the same Neumann boundary conditions as G(x, x ), then not only must the Laplacian of F (x, x ) vanish, but also F (x, x ) must satisfy the relation n F (x, x ) = 0 x . A wide class of functions satisfy this condition. In particular, any function F (x, x ) which is independent of x automatically satises n F (x, x ) = 0it also has a vanishing Laplacian. Therefore, let us investigate if any function F (x) F (x, x ) can be chosen so that G(x, x ) = G(x, x ) + F (x) is symmetric. From our work in part (a) above, we know that G(x, x ) will be symmetric if G(x, y) G(x , y) G(x , y) G(x, y) da = 0. n n

Using the form of G(x, x ) and the fact that G(x, x ) satises Neumann boundary conditions, we have that

4 G(x, y) G(x , y) G(x , y) G(x, y) da = n n S 4 = S 4 = S 4 = S

1

G(x, y) G(x , y) da,

(G(x, y) + F (x) G(x , y) F (x )) da,

(G(x, y) G(x , y)) da

4 (F (x) F (x )) S

da,

(G(x, y) G(x , y)) da 4 (F (x) F (x )) .

JACOB LEWIS BOURJAILY

Therefore, we see that G(x, x ) will automatically be a symmetric function if F (x) F (x ) = 1 S (G(x , y) G(x, y)) da.

In particular, this will be true if we dene F (x) by F (x) = 1 S G(x, y)da.

We have shown that for any arbitrary Greens function, G(x, x ), satisfying Neumann 1 boundary conditions there exists a Greens function G(x, x ) G(x, x ) S G(x, y)da, which satises the same boundary conditions as G(x, x ) and has the property that

G(x, y) G(x , y) G(x , y) G(x, y) da = 0. n n

From our derivation in part (a), this implies that the Greens function G(x, x ) is symmetric. o 2. Capacitance I a) We are to determine the capacitance of two large, at, parallel conducting sheets of area A separated by a distance d. If we chose a Gaussian region that completely encloses one of the plates such that the edges are arbitrarily small, then the surface integral of the electric eld will give E A where E is the magnitude of the electric eld. Notice that we have used the fact that the electric eld will be non-vanishing only between the plates. Using Gauss law, was see that the surface integral is equal to the total charge contained within the region divided by 0 . Specically, we have that Q EA= = E = ,
0 0

where is the charge density on the surface of one of the plates. The magnitude of the voltage dierence between the two plates is equal to the line integral of the electric eld from one plate to the other. Because we know that in the region between the two plates the electric eld is independent of position, this will be simply V = d . 0 Therefore, using the denition of capacitance, we see that A 0 C= . d b) We are to determine the capacitance of two concentric conducting spheres with radii a and b where b > a. If we chose a Gaussian region that completely encloses the inner sphere, then the surface integral of the electric eld will give E A where E is the magnitude of the electric eld and A = 4r2 , the area of the boundary of the region. Using Gauss law, was see that the surface integral is equal to the total charge contained within the region divided by 0 . Specically, we have that Q Q = E = , E 4r2 = 4 0 r2 0 where a < r < b and Q is the charge on one of the spheres. The magnitude of the voltage dierence between the two spheres is equal to the line integral of the electric eld from one to the other. Specically,
b Q 1 Q ba dr = . 2 4 0 a r 4 0 ab a Therefore, using the denition of capacitance, we see that 4 0 ab C= . ba b

V =

Ed =