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Exercises Sheet6

This document provides 8 exercises related to theoretical mechanics and the canonical formulation of transformations between coordinate systems. The exercises involve showing that certain transformations preserve the canonical structure, evaluating Poisson brackets, finding constants of motion, and applying canonical transformations to model physical systems with time-dependent perturbations.

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Marc Canals
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470 views

Exercises Sheet6

This document provides 8 exercises related to theoretical mechanics and the canonical formulation of transformations between coordinate systems. The exercises involve showing that certain transformations preserve the canonical structure, evaluating Poisson brackets, finding constants of motion, and applying canonical transformations to model physical systems with time-dependent perturbations.

Uploaded by

Marc Canals
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Theoretical Mechanics

Sheet 6: Canonical formulation

Exercises

Due date: 15 December


1. The transformation equations between two sets of coordinates are

Q = log(1 + q cos p) ,

P = 2(q + q cos p) q sin p .


(a) Show directly from these transformation equations that Q and P
are canonical variables if q and p are.
(b) Show that the function that generates this transformation is F3 =
(eQ 1)2 tan p.
2. (a) For a single particle show directly (that is, by direct evaluation of
the Poisson brackets), that if u is a scalar function only of r2 , p2
and r p, then [u, L] = 0.
(b) Similarly show directly that if F is a vector function, F = ur +
vp + wr p, where u, v and w are scalars functions of the same
type as in part (a), then [Fi , Lj ] = ijk Fk .
3. (a) Show that the transformation
Q = p + iaq ,

P =

p iaq
2ia

is canonical and find a generating function.


(b) Use the transformation to solve the linear harmonic oscillator
problem.
4. A charged particle moves in space with a constant magnetic field B
such that the vector potential A is
1
A = (B r) .
2
If vi and pj are the Cartesian coordinates of the velocity and canonical
momentum conjugate to xi , respectively, evaluate the Poisson brackets
[vi , vj ], [xi , vj ], [pi , vj ], [xi , pj ], and [pi , vj ].
5. (a) Prove that the Poisson bracket of two constants of the motion is
itself a constant of the motion even when the constants depend
upon time explicitly.

(b) Show that if the Hamiltonian and a quantity F are constants of


motion, then the nth partial derivative of F with respect to t must
also be a constant of the motion.
(c) As a illustration of this result, consider the uniform motion of a
free particle of mass m. The Hamiltionian is certainly conserved,
and there exists a constant of the motion
p
.
F =x
m
Show by direct computation that the partial derivate of F with t,
which is a constant of the motion, agrees with [H, F ].
6. A system of two degrees of freedom is described by the Hamiltonian
H = q1 p1 q2 p2 aq12 + bq22 .
Show that

p1 aq1
and F2 = q1 q2
q2
are constants of motion. Are there any other independent algebraic
constants of the motion? Can any be constructed from Jacobis identity?
F1 =

7. (a) Show from the Poisson bracket condition for conserved quantities
that the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector A,
A=pL

mkr
,
r

is a constant of the motion for the Kepler problem.


(b) Verify the Poisson bracket relations for the components of A as
given by [Ai , Lj ] = ijk Ak .
8. We start with a time independent Hamiltonian H0 (q, p) and impose an
external oscillating field making the Hamiltonian
H(q, p, t) = H0 (q, p)  sin t ,
where  and are given constants.
(a) How are the canonical equations modified?
(b) Find a canonical transformation that restores the canonical form
of the equations of motion and determine the new Hamiltonian.
(c) Give a possible physical interpretation of the imposed field.

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