APPENDIX D

BESSEL FUNCTIONS

Bessel's equation of order v is

x.!!
dx
(x dxdY) + (X 2 - V 2 )y =0 (D-1)

Solutions may be obtained by the method of Frobenius, the result being

co
~ (_1)m(x)2m+17
J.(x) = '-' m!(m +
v)! 2 2m +.
m=O
co (D-2)
~ ( -1)m(x)2m-17
J-.(x) = '-' m!(m - v)! 22m - .
m=O

where m! = r(m + 1) in general. As long as v is not an integer, these

are two independent solutions to Bessel's equation. However, when
v = n is an integer, we have

and Eqs. (D-2) are no longer two independent solutions. In this. case a
second solution may be obtained by a limiting procedure. It is conven-
tional to define another solution to Bessel's equation as

N.(x) = J.(x) COS.V1r - J_.(x) (D-4)

SIn V1r

where, for integral v = n,

Nn(x) = lim N,,(x) (D-5)
~n

This limit exists and establishes a second solution to Bessel's equation of

integral order. The J,,(x) are called Bessel functions of the first kind of
order v, and the NfJ(x) are called Bessel functions of the second kind of
order v.
460
 BESSEL FUNCTIONS 461
Of particular interest are integral orders of Bessel functions. From
Eq. (D-2) and (D-5), one can determine
CIO

~ (-1)'"
Jo(x) = '-' (m!)2 2"
(X)2'"
m-O
CIO
(D-6)

N o(x)
2
= ;: log
'Yx
2 J o(x) +;;: '-'
2 ~ (_I)m+l
(m!)2
(X)2'"
2" q,(m)
m-l

for the zero-order functions, and

~
CIO

( -1)'"
J ..(z) = '-' m!(m n)! 2"
2",+"
+
(x)
m-O
n-l

N ( ) - 21 J () 1 ~ (n - m - 1)!
"x -;: og 2 "x -;: '-'
'Y X
m!
(2)"-2'
x " (D-7)
m=O
CIO

1 ~ (-1)'" (x)"+2m
- ;;: '-' m!(m n)! 2" [q,(m) + + q,(m + n)]
m-O

for n > 0, where log v = 0.5772 (Euler's constant)

'Y = 1.781
(D-8)
q,(m) = 1 + ~ + % + · · · +!
m
The Bessel functions have been tabulated over an extensive range of
orders and arguments, and tables are available. Figure D-l shows
1.0

0.8
\!,o
, I
0.6
1\ Jl
0.4
V\)(~
, ,
J3
f-o.......

/ ) / \' ~" ~ -: <, -....... ...-......... - ~ ,~

/ ~ ex
0.2

o VLV '\ \ , \ ~ ) ~ V V '\ V' ~ K

-0.2
\ i\ ~ )< V" k" -,V ~ r-,V- l>< ~
<, ~ ""-- ...........10-00'"'"
10...

LX L/ l)<J K-
-0.4 ~
-0.6
o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
FIG. D-l. Bessel functions of the first kind.
462 TIME-HARMONIC ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS

0.6 I
No/ r-, Nl I

/ X , '\ r:
~ N2_ N3
0.4

0.2 / I~ [X"[x ~
~ ~ ~/ ~ ~ .-- .......
I
I
/

V rv
/ V'\
r-, '-/"" K VX
o ~

~ / )< ~ r-,V- IX
v V v'-
/ K \ )
-0.2

-0.4

-0.6
I / / / "
I / 1/
" J J

V
~~
0 ~ ~v
"""-.
~Io""" ;-

-0.8 I I/ /
-1.0
I / 7
-1.2 I I //
o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
FIG. D-2. Bessel functions of the second kind.

curves for the lowest-order functions of the first kind, and Fig. D-2 shows
those for the second kind. For small arguments, we have from the series
Jo(x) ---4 1
~O
(D-9)
N o(x) ~ ~ log 1'2X
~01r

and, for v > 0, J,(x) -:;=;6 ~ (~y

(D-IO)
N,(x) (v - 1)! (~)"
~O 1r X

provided Re (v) > O. For large arguments, asymptotic series exist, the
leading terms of which are

J,,(x) --+
~oo ~ 2 cos ( x -
-
1rX
1r
-
4
- V1r)
-
2
(D-l1)
N,,(x) ~
~oo $x · (
-
1rX
SIn x - -
1r
4
- -
V1r)
2
provided [phase (z) I < 1r.
For the expression of wave phenomena, it is convenient to define linear
combinations of the Bessel functions
H,,(l)(x) = J,,(x) jN,,(x)+ (D-12)
H v (2) ( X ) = J,,(x) - jN,,(x)
called Hankel functions of the first and second kinds. Small-argument
 BESSEL FUNCTIONS 463
and large-argument formulas are obtained from those for J and N.,. 11 In
particular, the large-argument formulas become

H,(l)(x) _ ~ j-'ei'"
~QO ~;;X
(D-13)
H,(2l(X) _ /2j j'e-iz
~QO ~7rX
which place into evidence the wave character of the Hankel functions.
Derivative formulas and recurrence formulas can be obtained by differ-
entiation of Eqs. (D-2). Letting B l1 (x) denote an arbitrary solution to
Bessel's equation, we have

B~(x) = B l1- 1 - !!.x B"

(D-14)
B;(x) = -B v+1 + !!.x B,
which, in the special case v = 0, become
Bri(x) = -B1(x) (D-15)
The difference of Eqs. (D-14) yields the recurrence formula
2(v - 1)
B l1 (x ) = B v - 1 - B l1 - 2 (D-16)
X

which is useful for calculating Bn(x), n > 1, from a knowledge of Bo(x)

and B1(x). The Wronskian of Bessel's equation is often encountered in
problem solving. This is
2
Jv(x)N~(x) - Nl1(X)J~(x) = rX
- (D-17)

from which Wronskians for other pairs of solutions can be easily obtained.
When x = }u is imaginary, modified Bessel functions of the first and
second kind can be defined as
I l1 (u ) = jl1Jv ( - ju)
(D-18)
K,(u) =; (-j)'+lH,(2l( -ju)

These are real functions for real u. General formulas for I; and K l1 can
be obtained from the corresponding formulas for J l1 and H l1 ( 2) . Figure
D-3 shows curves of the zero- and first-order modified Bessel functions.
The large-argument formulas, obtained from Eqs. (D-ll) and (D-12),

(D-19)
464 TIME-HARMONIC ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS

illustrate the evanescent character of the

modified Bessel functions. Derivative
4 t--+---+--+--+--+--+---+-~
formulas and recurrence formulas can be
readily obtained from Eqs. (D-14) to
(D-16).
2 Bessel functions of order n + 72 are used
in the solution of the Helmholtz equation
in spherical coordinates. In scalar-wave
problems, it is conventional to define
o 2 3 spherical Bessel functions as
FIG. D-3. Modified Bessel
functions. (D-20)

The b.; are given the name and letter as the corresponding B n +1A (For e

example, [« is the spherical Bessel function of the first kind, b; l2) is the
spherical Hankel function of the second kind, etc.) In a-c electromag-
netic field problems, it is convenient to define the alternative spherical
Bessel functions

(D-21)

where Bn is given the same name and symbol as the corresponding Bn+~.
The various formulas for bn and Bn can be obtained from the correspond-
ing formulas for B n +1A Of particular interest is the fact that asymptotic
e

expansions for Bn+'ti become exact, giving

In(x) = Cn(x) sin (x - n;) + Dn(x) cos (x _ n;)

b n(x) = Dn(x) sin (x - ~'II) - Cn(x) cos (x - n;) (D-22)

Dn(l)(x) = j-n[Dn(x) - jCn(x)]eiz
ll n (2)( X ) = jn[Dn(x) + jCn(x)]e-i:t
2m~n

where ~ (-I)m(n + 2m)!

Cn(x) = ~ (2m) !(n - 2m) !(2x) 2m
m=O
(D-23)
Dn(x) =
2m2:;:<;n-l (-I)m(n +
2m +I)!
(2m + 1) !(n - 2m - 1) !(2x)2m+l
m=O

Note that (D-24)

which is of interest in radiation problems.