EXAMPLE: 9.

Exercise: The vector potential of parallel conductors

Calculate the vector potential of two straight, infinitely long conductors carrying
steady antiparallel currents I. Consider also the case of parallel currents. How can
a well-defined convergent expression be achieved ?
Solution

: The vector potential is

A(r)

1
c

conductor

j(r ' )
dV '
r r'

(9.14)

We utilize the symmetries of the arrangement and choose r ( x, y , z 0) . With

jdV ' Idz ' e z , equation (9.14) becomes
A(r)

dz '

( x d ) 2 y 2 z' 2

dz '

ez

( x d ) 2 y 2 z ' 2

(9.15)

Taking into account that the integrand is an even function of z, and introducing
the abbreviations
12 x d y 2
2

(9.16)

22 x d y 2
2

We can write
A(r)

2l

dz'
12 z' 2

dz'

ez

(9.17)

22 z' 2

By a clever substitution the integral can be calculated simply. Setting z ' 1 sinh
u, together with

22 z' 2 1 cosh u, the unpleasant root expression vanishes, and

we obtain for the integral

z'
2
1

arcsin h

z
d 1

arcsin h
1 cosh u
1

dz'

L2 12

L2 12

1
ln
L
1

1
ln
L
1

(9.18)

Substituting this into (9.17), we obtain

A(r)

2
2

2l 2 L L 1
ln
c 1 L L2 22

e
z

(9.19)

Taking the limit L we obtain the following result for the vector potentialof
infinitely long conductors:

2l 2
A(r)
ln
c 1

lim A( r )

L L2 2
1

L L2 2
2

e
z

2l 2
ez
ln
c 1

(9.20)

In the (x,y) plane the equipotential lines are defined by

2
const . The vector
1

potential vanishes on the y axis . In the case of parallel currents the minus in
(9.15) becomes a plus. With this replacement, from (9.18) and (9.19) we obtain
for the vector potential of two parallel, current-carriying conductors

2l 1
A (r) ln ln L L2 12 L L2 12
c 2 1

(9.21)

Obviously, this expression is divergent for infinitely long conductors ( L ) .

We rewrite this exspresion so that the divergent part is split off.

2
2
2
2

2l 1 L L 1 L L 2
A (r) ln ln
2L
2L
c 2 1

e
2l
z
ln 4 L2
c

(9.22)

The last, divergent term has no position dependence. Taking the curl of AII(r), this
term plays no role. Hence, we may subtract the divergent term without changing
something in the physically relevant field intensity. In physics, with these or
similar methods, one can frequently derive physically relevant results from

formally divergent expressions. Taking the limit L in the corrected

expression, the vector potential of parallel currents is

2l
lim A ( r ) ln 2 1 e z
L
c

(9.23)

Now, the equipotential lines in the (x,y)-plane are determined by 2 1 = const.