446

Exercises

1.25 Solve the equations of motion for the example of Sect. 1.21.2 (Lorentz force with constant elds) for the case B = B ez , E = E ez .

1.26 Kepler problem and Hodograph: Let px and py be the components of the momentum in the plane of motion of the Kepler problem. Show: In momentum space, spanned by (px , py ), all bound orbits are circles. Give the position and the radius of these circles. The curve described by the tip of the velocity, or momentum, vector is called hodograph.

Chapter 2: The Principles of Canonical Mechanics

2.1 The energy E(q, p) is an integral of a nite, one-dimensional, periodic motion. Why is the portrait symmetric with respect to the q-axis? The surface enclosed by the periodic orbit is F (E) = p dq = 2
qmax

p dq .
qmin

Show that the change of F (E) with E equals the period T of the orbit, T = dF (E)/dE, Calculate F and T for the example E(q, p) = p2 /2m + m2 q 2 /2 . 2.2 A weight glides without friction along a plane inclined by the angle with respect to the horizontal. Study this system by means of dAlemberts principle. 2.3 A ball rolls without friction on the inside of a circular annulus. The annulus is put upright in the earths gravitational eld. Use dAlemberts principle to derive the equation of motion and discuss its solutions. 2.4 A mass point m that can only move along a straight line is tied to the point A by means of a spring. The distance of A to the straight line is l (cf. Fig. 5). Calculate (approximately) the frequency of oscillation of the mass point. 2.5 Two equal masses m are connected by means of a (massless) spring with spring constant x. They move without friction along a rail, their distance being l when the spring is inactive. Calculate the deviations x1 (t) and x2 (t) from the equilibrium positions, for the following initial conditions: x1 (0) = 0 , x2 (0) = l , x1 (0) = v0 , x2 (0) = 0.

2.6 Given a function F (x1 , . . . , xf ) that is homogeneous and of degree N in its f variables, show that

Chapter 2: The Principles of Canonical Mechanics

447

Fig. 5.
f i=1

F xi = N F . xi

2.7 If in the integral I [y] =

x2

dx f (y, y )
x1

f does not depend explicitly on x, show that y f f (y, y ) = const . y

Apply this result to L(q, q) = T U and identify the constant. T is assumed to be a homogeneous quadratic form in q. 2.8 Solve the following two problems (whose solutions are well known) by means of variational calculus: (i) the shortest connection between two points (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) in the Euclidean plane; (ii) the shape of a homogeneous, ne-grained chain suspended at its end points (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) in the gravitational eld. Hints: Make use of the result of Exercise 2.7. The equilibrium shape of the chain is determined by the lowest position of its center of mass. The line element is given by ds = (dx)2 + (dy)2 = 1 + y 2 dx .

2.9 Two coupled pendula can be described by means of the Lagrangian function
1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 L = 2 m x1 + x2 2 m0 x1 + x2 4 m 1 0 (x1 x2 )2 .

(i) Show that the Lagrangian function

1 1 L = 2 m(x1 i0 x1 )2 + 2 m(x2 i0 x2 )2 1 2 2 4 m 1 0 (x1 x2 )2

448

Exercises

leads to the same equations of motion. Why is this so? (ii) Show that transforming to the eigenmodes of the system leaves the Lagrange equations form invariant. 2.10 The force acting on a body in three-dimensional space is assumed to be axially symmetric with respect to the z-axis. Show that (i) its potential has the form U = U (r, z), where {r, , z} are cylindrical coordinates, x = r cos , y = r sin , z = z; (ii) the force always lies in a plane containing the z-axis. 2.11 With respect to an inertial system K0 the Lagrangian function of a particle is
1 0 L0 = 2 mx2 U (x0 ) .

The frame of reference K has the same origin as K0 but rotates about the latter with constant angular velocity . Show that the Lagrangian with respect to K reads m mx2 + mx ( x) + ( x)2 U (x) . 2 2 Derive the equations of motion of Sect. 1.25 from this. L= 2.12 A planar pendulum is suspended such that its point of suspension glides without friction along a horizontal axis. Construct the kinetic and potential energies and a Lagrangian function for this problem. 2.13 A pearl of mass m glides (without friction) along a planar curve s = s() put up vertically. s is the length of arc and the angle between the tangent to the curve and the horizontal line (see Fig. 6).

Fig. 6.

(i) Derive the equation for s(t) for harmonic oscillations. (ii) What is the relation between s(t) and (t) ? Discuss this relation and the motion that follows from it. What happens in the limit where s can reach its maximal amplitude? (iii) From the explicit solution calculate the force of constraint and the effective force that acts on the pearl.