Phys507 Lect 7

PHYS 507
Lecture 7: Electrostatics
Special Techniques: Part B
Dr. Vasileios Lempesis

Separation of Variables -a
•  The method of separation of variables, is
applicable in circumstances where the potential
(V) or the charge density (σ) is specified on the
boundaries of some region, and we are asked to
find the potential in the interior. The strategy is:
•  We look for solutions that are the products of
functions, each of which depends on only one of the
coordinates.
•  The success of this method hinged on two
extraordinary properties of the separable
solutions: completeness and orthogonality.
Separation of Variables -b
•  A set of functions fn(x) is said to be complete if any other
function f(x) can be expressed as a linear combination of
them:
∞
f (x) = ∑Cn f n (x)
n=1
•  A set of functions fn(x) is said to be orthogonal if the

integral of the product of any of two different members
of the group is zero:
a
∫ f n (x) f m (x) dy = 0 for n ≠ m

0
Legendre Functions
•  Legendre functions or Legendre polynomials are the
solutions of Legendre’s differential equation that
appear when we separate the variables of HelmholE’
equation, Laplace equation or Schrodinger equation
using spherical coordinate.
•  They are solutions of the following differential
equation:

• The constant n is an integer (n=0,1,2,…).

•  converge only when
Legendre Functions
•  Legendre functions (or polynomials) is a power series solution
of Legendre differential equation about the origin (x = 0).
• The series solution should converge to be terminated in order to
meet the physical requirements. The series solution converges
when is satisfied.
•  The Legendre polynomials can be expressed as Rodrigues’
Formula:
Legendre Polynomial
plots

Legendre Polynomial
The generating function
The generating function of Legendre polynomials:

Which has an important application in electric multipole
expansions. If we expand this function as a binomial
series if we obtain
Legendre Polynomials
The recurrence function
the Legendre polynomials obey the three term
recurrence relations:

But these relations are valid for
Special Properties
•  Some special values
and
Where (called double factorial)

Special Properties
•  The Parity property:(with respect to )
If n is odd the parity of the polynomial is odd, but if it is

even the parity of the polynomial is even.
•  Upper and lower Bounds for

Orthogonality
Legendre’s equation is self-adjoint. Which satisfies Sturm-
Liouiville theory where the solutions are expected to be
orthogonal to satisfying certain boundary conditions.
Legendre polynomials are a set of orthogonal functions on
(-1,1).

where

legendre Series

•  According to Sturm-Liouville theory that Legendre
polynomial form a complete set.
•  The coefficients are obtained by multiplying the series by

and integrating in the interval [-1,1]
2n +1 1
an = ∫ f (x)Pn (x) dx
2 −1
Multipole Expansion-a
•  If you are far away from a localized charge distribution
of total charge Q then you approximate at large distances
the potential with that of a point charge:
1 Q
V=
4πε0 r
•  But what if this charge is zero? The answer is not as

straightforward as it looks. This is where the method of
multipole expansion is used in electrostatics.
Multipole Expansion-b
•  It can be shown that the total potential of the charge
configurations shown in the figure has the spatial
dependence which is is written below the corresponding
configuration:
•  Note that in all these configurations the total charge is

zero!
Multipole Expansion-c
•  The method of multipole expansion proves that for an
arbitrary localized charge distribution there is an
expansion of the total potential in powers of (1/r) given
by the relations:
1 ∞ 1 n
V (r) = ∑
4πε0 n=0 r (n+1)
∫( )
r' ( ) ()
Pn cosθ ' ρ r ' d τ '
1 !1 1
V (r) = # ∫
4πε0 " r
ρ r '
()
d τ '
+
r2
∫ r cosθ ρ (r ) d τ
' ' ' '
1 2&3 1) ,
+
r3
∫( ) '2 2*
()
r ' ( cos 2 θ ' − + ρ r ' d τ ' + ....
-
The monopole term
•  Ordinarily the multipole expansion is
dominated (at large r) by the monopole term:
1 Q
V= , Q= ∫ ρ dτ
4πε0 r
•  If the charge is point-like it is the only term. The
other multipole terms vanish
The dipole term
•  In the case where the total charge is zero the
dominant term is the dipole term.
1 1
V (r) =
4πε0 r 2
∫ r cosθ ρ (r ) d τ
' ' ' '
•  This term can be written with the help of dipole

moment p ≡ ∫ r ' ρ ( r ' ) d τ ' as:
1 p ⋅ r̂ Dipole moments are

Vdip (r) = vectors and they add
4πε0 r 2
accordingly!
Origin of coordinates in multipole
expansion
•  A point-like charge at
the origin is a “pure”
monopole.
•  A point-like charge
shifted from the
origin is no longer a
monopole!
•  For instance the point
charge in the figure
has a dipole moment,
p = qdŷ
Two-dimensional fields and
complex numbers
•  From complex analysis we know that for any
analytical complex function f(z)=U(x,y)+iV(x,y) the
functions U and V satisfy automatically the following
relations:
∂U ∂V ∂V ∂U
= , =−
∂x ∂y ∂x ∂y
•  Which immediately can be shown to satisfy Laplace
equation (in two dimensions):
∂2U ∂2U ∂2V ∂2V
2
+ 2 = 0, 2
+ 2 =0
∂x ∂y ∂x ∂y
•  In other words, any analytical complex function

should represent two electric field problems !We thus
find solutions for which we need to find the
corresponding problem!

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PHYS 507

Dr. Vasileios Lempesis

•  A set of functions fn(x) is said to be orthogonal if the

∫ f n (x) f m (x) dy = 0 for n ≠ m

• The constant n is an integer (n=0,1,2,…).

Where (called double factorial)

If n is odd the parity of the polynomial is odd, but if it is

•  Upper and lower Bounds for

•  The coefficients are obtained by multiplying the series by

•  But what if this charge is zero? The answer is not as

•  Note that in all these configurations the total charge is

•  This term can be written with the help of dipole

1 p ⋅ r̂ Dipole moments are

•  In other words, any analytical complex function

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Phys507 Lect 7

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Phys507 Lect 7

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Phys507 Lect 7

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PHYS 507

Dr. Vasileios Lempesis

• A set of functions fn(x) is said to be orthogonal if the

∫ f n (x) f m (x) dy = 0 for n ≠ m

• The constant n is an integer (n=0,1,2,…).

Where (called double factorial)

If n is odd the parity of the polynomial is odd, but if it is

• Upper and lower Bounds for

• The coefficients are obtained by multiplying the series by

• But what if this charge is zero? The answer is not as

• Note that in all these configurations the total charge is

• This term can be written with the help of dipole

1 p ⋅ r̂ Dipole moments are

• In other words, any analytical complex function

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

•  A set of functions fn(x) is said to be orthogonal if the

• The constant n is an integer (n=0,1,2,…).

•  Upper and lower Bounds for

•  The coefficients are obtained by multiplying the series by

•  But what if this charge is zero? The answer is not as

•  Note that in all these configurations the total charge is

•  This term can be written with the help of dipole

•  In other words, any analytical complex function