Jackson 1.

2 Homework Problem Solution

Dr. Christopher S. Baird
University of Massachusetts Lowell
PROBLEM:
The Dirac delta function in three dimensions can be taken as the improper limit as ! of the
"aussian function
D(o ; x , y , z)=(#)
$/ #
o
$
e%p

&
#o
#
( x
#
+y
#
+z
#
)
|
Consider a 'eneral ortho'onal coordinate system specified by the surfaces u ( constant) v ( constant)
w ( constant) with len'th elements du/U) dv/V) dw/W in the three perpendicular directions. Show that
6( xx* )=6( uu* )6(vv* )6 (ww *)UVW
by considerin' the limit of the "aussian above. +ote that as ! only the infinitesimal len'th
element need be used for the distance between the points in the e%ponent.
SOL!"O#:
Start with the 'eneral property of a Dirac delta,

6 ( x)6( y)6 ( z)dx dy dz =&

Substitute in our representation,

lim
o-!
D(o; x , y , z) dx dy dz=&
+ow transform the volume element into the new coordinate system

lim
o-!
D(o; x , y , z)
du
U
dv
V
dw
W
=&
-e do not know e%actly how the one system of coordinates transforms into the other) so we cannot
transform D in a direct manner. Let us instead define an intermediate variable function F accordin' to,
F (u , v , w)=lim
o-!
D(o; x , y , z-u , v , w)
&
U V W
-ith this definition our inte'ral becomes

F( u , v , w) du dv dw=&
Because we are inte'ratin' over all space) we are free to make a chan'e of variables which .ust shifts
the ori'in.

F( uu* , vv * , ww* ) dudv dw=&

Comparin' this to the very first e/uation we see that it is identical e%cept with different inte'ration
labels and therefore,
F (uu * , vv* , ww *)=6 (uu *) 6(vv * )6( ww* )
so that) after plu''in' back in) we have
6(uu* )6( vv * )6(ww* )=lim
o-!
D(o; x , y , z -u , v , w)
&
U V W
Solve for D,
lim
o-!
D(o; x , y , z-u , v , w)=6(uu * )6( vv * )6( ww* )U V W
The entity on the left) no matter what coordinate system it is represented in) is .ust what we mean by
the 'eneral three0dimensional Dirac delta,
6( xx* )=6( uu* )6(vv* )6(ww *)UVW
+ow note that we never used the e%plicit form of D) so we have solved the problem in a way that the
book did not intend. Let us try solvin' the problem usin' a method that uses the e%plicit form of D.
D(o ; x , y , z)=(#)
$/ #
o
$
e%p

&
#o
#
( x
#
+y
#
+z
#
)
|
Make a chan'e of variables x x 1 x*) etc. 23therwise we will not end up with the most 'eneral case.4
D(o ; xx * , yy * , z z * )=( #)
$/ #
o
$
e%p

&
#o
#
(( xx* )
#
+( yy* )
#
+( zz *)
#
)
|
5s !) D will become 6ero unless x 1 x* approaches 6ero as well. 7n calculus) we remember that
x 1 x* approachin' 6ero becomes dx. Therefore we have,
D(o ; xx * , yy * , z z * )=( #)
$/ #
o
$
e%p

&
#o
#
((dx)
#
+(dy)
#
+( dz)
#
)
|
-e reco'ni6e the last part in parentheses as the incremental arc len'th element ds s/uared,
D(o ; xx * , yy * , z z * )=( #)
$/ #
o
$
e%p

&
#o
#
ds
#
|
8%pand the arc len'th in the new coordinate system,
D=( #)
$/ #
o
$
e%p

&
#o
#
(
du
#
U
#
+
dv
#
V
#
+
dw
#
W
#
)|
+ote that dxdu/U and we are not makin' that claim here. 9ather) the entire three0dimensional
incremental arc len'th ds is the same in all ortho'onal coordinate systems. +ow e%pand the increments
back into differences,
D=( #)
$/ #
o
$
e%p

&
#o
#
(
( uu* )
#
U
#
+
(vv* )
#
V
#
+
( ww* )
#
W
#
)
|
D=

e
( uu*)
#
/ #o
#
U
#
.#o
|
e
(vv *)
#
/ #o
#
V
#
.#o
|
e
( ww*)
#
/ #o
#
W
#
.#o
|
+ow make the substitution
&
:U in the first bracket)
#
:V in the second bracket) and

$
:W in the last bracket. -e can do this as lon' as we let
&
)
#
) and
$
'o to 6ero .ust like we were
lettin' 'o to 6ero.
D=

e
( uu*)
#
/ #o
&
#
.#o
&
|
e
(vv *)
#
/#o
#
#
.#o
#
|
e
( ww*)
#
/#o
$
#
.#o
$
|
U V W
-e now let the alpha*s approach 6ero. 8ach term in brackets on the ri'ht side becomes a one0
dimensional linear Dirac delta. The left side becomes the 'eneral e%pression for the three0dimensional
Dirac delta,
6( xx* )=6( uu* )6(vv* )6(ww *)UVW
+ow this is a very useful result. Suppose we have a point char'e. 7n spherical coordinates) we can find
the representation of its Dirac delta usin' the above e%pression. ;or spherical coordinates
u=r , v=0 , w= and the len'th elements are dr , r d 0 , rsin 0d so that U=&) V=
&
r
, W=
&
r sin
and
6( xx* )=6( rr * )6(00 *) 6(* )
&
r
#
sin 0
2Spherical Coordinates4
+ote that it is fairly strai'ht0forward to prove usin' Dirac delta properties that
6(00 *)/ sin0=6( cos0cos0 *) so that the three0dimensional Dirac delta in spherical coordinates is
often written
6( xx* )=6( rr * )6(cos 0cos0* )6(* )
&
r
#
as it is on p. &#! in Jackson.
Similarly in cylindrical coordinates) u=r , v=0 , w=z and the len'th elements are dr , r d 0 , dz so that
U=&) V=
&
r
, W=&
and
6( xx* )=6( rr * )6(00 *) 6( zz * )
&
r
2Cylindrical Coordinates4
5ssume that instead of a point char'e) we have a line char'e shaped into a rin') centered on the z a%is)
located at some radius r* and polar an'le *. The char'e is distributed alon' the rin' accordin' to the
line char'e density \() . The total char'e density in this case would be,
p=6(uu * )6( vv * )U V \(w) 2Spherical Coordinates4
p=
6(rr * )6(00* ) \()
r
2Spherical Coordinates4