Today in Physics 217: multipole expansion

Multipole expansions
Electric multipoles and their moments
Monopole and dipole, in detail
Quadrupole, octupole,
Example use of multipole expansion as approximate
solution to potential from a charge distribution (Griffiths
problem 3.26)

21 October 2002

q
-q

-q

-q

-q

Physics 217, Fall 2002

-q
q

-q
q

q
-q

Solving the Laplace and Poisson equations by

sleight of hand
The guaranteed uniqueness of solutions has spawned several creative
ways to solve the Laplace and Poisson equations for the electric potential.
We will treat three of them in this class:
Method of images (9 October).
Very powerful technique for solving electrostatics problems involving
charges and conductors.
Separation of variables (11-18 October)
Perhaps the most useful technique for solving partial differential
equations. Youll be using it frequently in quantum mechanics too.
Multipole expansion (today)
Fermi used to say, When in doubt, expand in a power series. This
provides another fruitful way to approach problems not immediately
accessible by other means.

21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

Multipole expansions
Suppose we have a known charge distribution for which we
want to know the potential or field outside the region where
the charges are. If the distribution were symmetrical enough
we could find the answer by several means:
direct calculation using Gauss Law;
direct calculation Coulombs Law;
solution of the Laplace equation, using the charge
distribution for boundary conditions.
But even when is symmetrical this can be a lot of work.
Moreover, it may give more precise information on the
potential or field than is actually needed.
Consider instead a direct calculation combined with a series
expansion
21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

Multipole expansions (continued)

P

If the reference point for potential is

(and can be) at infinity, then
d
,
V (r ) =
r

V
2

where r 2 = r + r 2 2rr cos

r
r
= r 1 + 2 cos

r
r

r2 (1 + ) .

( r )

If point P is far away from the charge

distribution, then 1.
21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

V
4

Multipole expansions (continued)

1 1 1
. But first recall this infinite series:
So consider =
r r 1+

(1 + x)

s!
xn
=
n! s n)!
n=0 (

s ( s 1 ) 2 s ( s 1 )( s 2 ) 3
s
= 1+ x+
x +
x +
1!
2!
3!
where x < 1 and s is any real number. (This is one form of the
binomial theorem.) Then
1 1
1
3 2 5 3

= 1 + +
2
8
16
r r

21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

Multipole expansions (continued)

2
2
1 1
1 r r
3 r r

= 1
2 cos + 2 cos
r r
2 rr
8 r r

2
3
3

r
r

5 r r
2

= + 4 cos 4 cos
2 cos +
r
r
16 r r

2
2
3
4

r
r
r
1
1 r
3 r
3
3

= 1 + cos + cos 2 cos +

2 r
2 r
2 r
8 r
r
r

5 r

16 r

2
3
r 3 4r
r
r
2
cos 4 cos
+
r
r
r
r
2

r
r

3
2
2 cos 8 cos + 8 cos +
r

21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

Multipole expansions (continued)

Collect terms with the same powers of r r , and ignore
3

r
r
higher powers than (
) , for now:
2

1 1
1
r
r
3
2
= 1 + cos + cos
r r
2
r
r 2
3

3
r
5

3
+ cos cos +
2

r 2

1
r
r
= P0 ( cos ) + P1 ( cos ) + P2 ( cos )
r
r
r
2

r
+ P3 ( cos ) +
r

21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

Multipole expansions (continued)

1
1
r
Thus, =
Pn ( cos )
r r n=0 r
n

1
r

( r ) Pn ( cos ) d
V (r ) =
r n=0
r
n

1
1
=
( r ) d + 2
r
r

21 October 2002

3
1

2
+ 3 ( r ) r cos d
2
2
r V
+

( r ) r cos d Monopole, Dipole

Quadrupole

3

35
3

cos

cos

r
r
( )
d +
4
2
2

r V
Physics 217, Fall 2002

Octupole
8

Electric multipoles
This is a useful approximation scheme, the more useful the
further away point P is from the charges within V, because
one can neglect the higher-order terms in the series after the
desired accuracy is achieved.
The monopole term:
q
1
Vmonopole ( r ) =
( r ) d =
r
r

If a charge distribution has a net total charge, it will tend

to look like a monopole (point charge) from large
distances.

21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

Electric multipoles
The dipole term:
1
r
r
V ( r ) = 2 ( r ) r cos d = 2 ( r ) r d = 2 p ,
r V
r V
r

where p = ( r ) r d is called the dipole moment.

V

As usual, for surface, line and point charges, we have

p = ( r ) r da, p = ( r ) r d , p =

qi ri

i =1

The simplest dipole has two point charges, q ,

separated by a displacement vector d that points from q
to +q.
21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

10

The dipole potential and field

Vdipole =
Edipole

qd cos
2

r
= Vdipole

p cos

r2

Vdipole
1 Vdipole
=
r +

r

2 p cos
p sin
1

=
r+
3
3
3
r
r
r

q
d

-q

Dipole moment is defined the same way in cgs and MKS.

Expressions for potential and field still need a factor of 1 4 0
to convert from cgs to MKS.
21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

11

Quadrupole, octupole,
A simple way to envision what the higher-order multipoles
look like is to construct them from the lower-order ones:
take two of the lower-order ones, invert one, and place the
two in close proximity.
q
-q
Dipole

-q

-q

-q

Quadrupole

-q
q

-q
q

q
-q

Octupole

The monopole moment (charge) is a scalar. The dipole

moment is a vector. Higher order multipole moments are
represented by higher-order tensors: the quadrupole moment
is a second-rank tensor, etc.
21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

12

Example of the use of multipole expansions

Griffiths problem 3.26: A sphere of radius R, centered at the
origin, carries charge density
R
( r , ) = k 2 ( R 2r ) sin ,
r
where k is a constant and r and are the usual spherical
coordinates. Find the approximate potential for points on the
z axis, far from the sphere.
Scheme: start by calculating the monopole term. If its not
zero, then its a good approximation to the potential, since its
larger by r/r than the dipole term. If it is zero, move on to
the dipole term. And so on
21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

13

Example (continued)
Monopole moment (charge):
2 R

q = ( r ) d = kR
0

1
2
r 2 ( R 2r ) sin r sin drd d
00

0
2

= kR d sin 2 d ( R 2r ) dr
= kR d sin d
0

R
2
Rr r

=0

No net charge, so move on to the dipole term.

21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

14

Example (continued)
Dipole moment, or lack thereof:
p = r cos ( r ) d

2 R

1
2
= kR r cos 2 ( R 2r ) sin r sin drd d
r

0 00
2

= kR d sin 2 cos d Rr 2 r 2 dr
2

sin
2
2
Rr
r
dr = 0
= kR d

3 0 0
0
21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

15

Example (continued)
Quadrupole moment (simple only because this is
spherical):
1
23
2
Q = r cos ( r ) d
2
2

kR
=
2
kR
=
2

2 R

0 00

1
2
3 cos 1 2 ( R 2r ) sin r sin drd d
r

d 3 cos2 1 sin 2 d Rr 2 2 r 3 dr
0

0
2 5

4
4

kR
R
R
k R

=
0
( 2 ) =
2
2
48
8 3
21 October 2002

Physics 217, Fall 2002

16

Example (continued)
Thus, for a point way up the z axis,
V (r )

21 October 2002

1
z

Q=

k 2 R 5
48 z3

1
for the MKS answer

4 0

Physics 217, Fall 2002

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