Assignment 3

PHY 2310: Electromagnetism in Light of Relativity

Aditya Malhotra
November 15, 2023

1. The displacement field D for radius r > d is,

Q
D= r̂
4πr2
(
Q
4πεr 2 r̂ r ∈ [c, d]
E= Q
4πε0 r 2 r̂ r>d

Here ε = ε0 (1 + χe ) Using these the energy of the configuration is,

Z
1
U= D · E dτ
2
 2  Z d
1 ∞ dr
Z 
4π Q 1 dr
= +
2 4π ε c r2 ε0 d r2
Q2 1 1 1
   
1
= − +
8π ε c d ε0 d
2
  
Q 1 1 1 1
= − +
8π c d ε0 (1 + χe ) ε0 d
2
  
Q 1 1 1 + χe
= − +
8πε0 (1 + χe ) c d d

Q2
 
1 χe
∴U = +
8πε0 (1 + χe ) c d

2. At the boundary of two dielectrics, E|| is continuous while D⊥ is continuous. Thus,

|| ||
E1 = E2
D1⊥ = D2⊥
=⇒ ε1 E1⊥ = ε2 E2⊥
||
E2⊥ /E2 ε2
=⇒ ||
=
E1⊥ /E1 ε1

tan θ2 ε2
∴ =
tan θ1 ε1
If medium 1 is air and medium 2 is some dielectric then,
tan θ2 ε2
= = (1 + χe,2 ) > 1
tan θ1 ε0
Thus electric field lines would bend away from the normal when going from air into the dielectric. Thus,
a convex “lens” made of this dielectric would “defocus” the field lines.

1
Assignment 3 2

3. For the vacuum part of the cylinder,

 
λ λ a
E= =⇒ V = ln
2πε0 s 2πε0 b
For the oil part the displacement field is,
λ′ λ′
 
a
D= =⇒ V = ln
2πs 2πε b
This implies that
λ ε
= λ′ ε =⇒ λ′ = λ = λ(1 + χe )
ε0 ε0
The total charge is,
Q = λ′ h + λ(l − h) = λ(χe h + l)
Thus, the capacitance is,
Q (χe h + l)
C= = 2πε0
ln ab


V
The force on a dielectric medium kept at some constant potential can be computed as for this case,
dW
F =−
dh
2
d( CV2 )
=
dh
(1)
V 2 dC
=
2 dh
V 2 πε0 χe
=⇒ F =
ln ab

On the other hand the net upward force is,

F = mg = ρπ(a2 − b2 )gh

THe oil rises to its maximum height when these forces balance giving,
V 2 πε0 χe
ρπ(a2 − b2 )gh =
ln ab

V 2 πε0 χe
∴h= a


ρπ(a2 − b2 )g ln b

4. Since this is a dieletric medium we consider the displacement field, D = εE where ε is variable as,
(
ε0 ( Rr )2 r < R
ε(r) =
ε0 r>R

Furthermore since there are no free charges anywhere we have,

∇·D=0
=⇒ ∇ · (εE) = 0
=⇒ ε(∇ · E) + E · (∇ε) = 0
 
∇ε
=⇒ ∇ · E + E · =0
ε
=⇒ −∇2 V − ∇V · ∇(ln ε) = 0
=⇒ ∇2 V + ∇V · ∇(ln ε) = 0
Assignment 3 3

Since ε varies only with r it implies only the r̂ component of the potential comes out. Thus,

d(ln ε) ∂V
∇2 V + =0
dr ∂r

This is true for any potential given a radially varying permittivity.

The validity of this equation can be seen on physical grounds as well. ∇2 V = 0 everywhere since there are
no free charges. For a point r > R, ε = ε0 which is a constant and thus its derivative is 0. For a point
r < R, the potential is constant since the sphere is a dielectric medium. Thus its derivative is 0 and the
whole product also becomes 0. Thus, the equation holds for this specific potential also.
5. (a) The magnetic moment will point in ẑ direction and it can be written as,

dm = dIAẑ

The area swept by an infinitesimal charge is A = πr2 sin2 θ. Also,

Z Z
dq ω ω
dI = = ρdτ = r2 sin θdθdϕdr
T 2π 2π
Thus,
Z R Z π Z 2π
ωρ 4 3
m= r dr sin θdθ dϕ
2 0 0 0
R5 π
Z
= ωρπ sin θ(1 − cos2 θ)dθ
5 0
R5 0 2
Z
= ωρπ (u − 1)du
5 1
4 Q R5
= 4 3 ωπ
3 3 πR 5

QωR2
∴m= ẑ
5

(b) The vector potential due to a magnetic dipole is equal to,

µ0 I m × r̂
A=
4π r2
Thus with the moment above we get,
µ0 I |m| sin θ
A= ϕ̂
4π r2

µ0 I QωR2 sin θ
∴A= ϕ̂
4π 5 r2

(c) To solve this problem, we can break up the sphere into spherical shells that each have have a spherical
charge density (σ) that can be written in terms of the volume charge density as,

dσ = ρdr′

Thus, first we solve for a spherical shell. To do that we orient the sphere such that the radius vector,
r̂ points along the z-axis and the angular velocity is in the x-z plane and is at an angle, η to the r̂
vector. For the spherical shell,
K(r′ ) ′
Z
µ0
A(r) = da
4π
Assignment 3 4

√
Where, K = σv, da′ = R2 sin θ′ dθ′ dϕ′ and = R2 + r2 − 2Rr cos θ. The velocity vector for a point
r′ is given by ω × r′ . Thus this is,

x̂ ŷ ẑ
v= ω sin η 0 ω cos η
R sin θ′ cos ϕ′ R sin θ′ sin ϕ′ R cos θ′
= Rω[−(cos η sin θ′ sin ϕ′ )x̂ + (cos η sin θ′ cos ϕ′ − sin η cos θ′ )ŷ + (sin η sin θ′ sin ϕ′ )ẑ]

Note that when integrating over ϕ′ for any of these terms any term with sin ϕ′ or cos ϕ′ becomes 0
since, Z 2π Z 2π
sin ϕ′ dϕ′ = cos ϕ′ dϕ′ = 0
0 0
Thus the integral becomes,

µ0 σ sin η 2π π Rω cos θ′
Z Z
A(r) = − √ R2 sin θ′ dθ′ dϕ′ϕ̂
4π 0 0 R2 + r2 − 2Rr cos θ′
µ0 R3 ω sin η π cos θ′ sin θ′
Z
=− √ dθ′ϕ̂
2 0 R2 + r2 − 2Rr cos θ′
Letting u ≡ cos θ the integral becomes,
Z 1
u
I= √ du
−1 R2 + r2 − 2Rru

R2 +r 2 −w
Let R2 + r2 − 2Rru = w =⇒ dw = −2rRdu. Also u = 2Rr . Thus,

w − r 2 − R2
Z
1
I= √ dw
4R2 r2 w
3 √
w2 (−r2 − R2 ) w
= +
6R2 r2 2R2 r2
2 2 3 √
(R + r − 2Rru) 2 (−r2 − R2 ) R2 + r2 − 2Rru
= +
√ 6R2 r2 2R2 r2
2 2 2 2
R + r − 2Rru(R + r + Rru)
=
3R2 r2
Taking into account the limits the integral then is,
1
I=− [(R2 + r+ Rr)|R − r| − (R2 + r− Rr)(R + r)]
3R2 r2
If the point in question lies outside the sphere then r > R =⇒ I = 2r/3R2 and if inside then,
r < R =⇒ I = 2R/3r2 . Thus we have,
(
µ0 Rσ
ω × r) r < R
(ω
A(r) = µ03R4 σ
3r 3 (ω × r) r > R
ω

We revert to the usual spherical coordinate system. We also now consider the relation of σ to ρ and
evaluate the vector potential for a spherical volume of charge. Here we consider R = r′ , i.e., we
integrate over different shells which are at distance r′ from the centre. We also only consider upto R
since we have to find the exact potential inside the sphere. Thus, we have,
(
ρµ0 ω
sin θr′ r 0 < r < r′
dA = ρµ30 ω r ′4
3 sin θ r 2 r′ < r < R
Assignment 3 5

Integrating this we get,

r R
r′4 ′
Z Z 
µ0 Qω ′ ′
A= sin θ dr + r rdr
4π R3 0 r2 r
r ′2 R
1 r′5
 
µ0 Qω r
= sin θ +r
4π R3 r2 5 0 2 r
 3 3
rR2

µ0 Qω r r
= sin θ − +
4π R3 5 2 2
2 2
 
µ0 Qω 3r rR
= sin θ − +
4π R3 10 2

3r2 rR2
 
µ0 Qω
∴ A(r) = sin θ − + ϕ̂
4π R3 10 2

6. (a) For magnetic fields in matter,

∇ × H(r) = Jf ree = 0
Also,

B(r)
H(r) = −M
µ0
 
B(r)
=⇒ ∇ · H(r) = ∇ · −M
µ0
1
= ∇ · B(r) − ∇ · M
µ0
=0

Since the curl and the divergence of the auxillary field is 0 we can infer that,

H(r) = 0 ∀V

Where V represents all space.

(b) The magnetic field, B(r) is,

B(r) = µ0 (H(r) + M)
(
µ0 M0 ẑ r < R
∴ B(r) =
0 r>R