Solutions to Problems in Jackson,

Classical Electrodynamics, Third Edition

Homer Reid
June 27, 2003

Chapter 9: Problems 1-8

Problem 9.2
We place the square in the xy plane, centered at the origin, and aligned such
that
at time t = 0 the q charges are on the x axis at x = R (where R = a/ 2).
Then the charge density in cylindrical coordinates is
n
o
q
(1)
(r, , z, t) = (r R)(z) ( t) ( t) .
R
The Fourier series expansion of is
(x, ) =

n
o
X
An (x) cos nt + Bn (x) sin nt

(2)

n=1

Multiplying by cos nt and sin nt and integrating from t = 0 to t = 2/, we

find

An =
2
Bn =

2/

(x, t) cos nt dt

2/

(x, t) sin nt dt.

Homer Reids Solutions to Jackson Problems: Chapter 9

Inserting (1), we find

Z 2/ n
o
q
(r R)(z)
( t) ( t) cos nt dt
2R
n0
o
q
(r R)(z) cos n cos n( )
=
2R
(
q
(r R)(z) cos n,
n odd
= R
0,
n even.

An =

Similarly,
Bn =

q
R (r

0,

R)(z) sin n,

n odd
n even.

Plugging into (2),

o
X n
q
(r R)(z)
cos(nt) cos(n) + sin(nt) sin(n)
R
n odd
X
q
(r R)(z)
cos[n(t )].
(3)
=
R

(r, , z, t) =

n odd

To find the associated current density, we use

J =

Clearly there is only a component of the current density, so this is

X
1 J
q
=+
(r R)(z)
n sin[n(t )]
R
R
n odd

from which evidently

J =

X
q
(r R)(z)
cos[n(t )].

n odd

Evidently the space integrals of both J and r J(= RJ) vanish, so there is no
electric or magnetic dipole component to the radiation. We define the constant
Qn , for n positive and negative, to be the quadupole moment associated
with the component of the charge density varying as eint . They are given by
(Jackson equation (9.41))
Z 

3x x r2 (x)d3 x
Qn =
Z 

q
3x x r2 (r R)(z)ein dx.
=
2R

Homer Reids Solutions to Jackson Problems: Chapter 9

Since the charge is confined to the plane z = 0, any moment with , = z

vanishes. The remaining three moments are
Z
qR2 2
Qxxn =
(3 cos2 1)ein d
2 0
Z
qR2 2
(3 sin2 1)ein d
Qyyn =
2 0
Z
3qR2 2
sin cos ein d.
Qxyn =
2 0
These are only nonvanishing if n = 2, and in that case we have
3qR2
4
3qR2
=
4
= 0.

Qxx,2 =
Qyy,2
Qxy,2 = Qyx,2

The vector defined by Jacksons equation (9.43) is

Q=
and we then have
nQ=

i
3qR2 h
nx i nyj
4

i
3qR2 h

nz nyi + nz nxj 2nx ny k

4



i
3qR2 h

nQ n=
nx (n2z + 2n2y ) i + ny (n2z + 2n2x ) j + nz (n2x n2y )k
4

2


3qR2
2
| n Q n| =
n2z (n2x + n2y ).
4

Plugging into Jacksons equation (9.44) and switching to spherical coordinates,

H=

i
icqR2 k 3 eikr h

cos sin sin i + cos sin cos j 2 sin2 sin cos k.

32
r

dP
c2 q 2 R 4 Z 0 k 6
cos2 sin2
=
d
2048 2
Integrating over solid angles, we find the total radiated power:
Z Z
c2 q 2 R4 Z02 k 6 2
cos2 sin3 dd
2048 2
0
0
c2 q 2 R4 Z02 k 6
.
=
7680

P =

Homer Reids Solutions to Jackson Problems: Chapter 9

Problem 9.3
The components of the vector potential are determined by the wave equation


1 2
2
+ 2 2 A(r, t) = 0.
c t
The solution is
0
A(r, t) =
4



dr
|r r |
J r, t
|r r |
c

For sources varying in time as eit , we have

=

0 it
e
4

dr
J(r)eik|rr | .

|r r |

(4)

In the radiation zone we approximate

|r r | r n
r


n
r
1
1
1+

|r r |
r
r


ik|rr |
ikr
1 ik
n r .
e
e

(5)
(6)

Inserting (5) and (6) into (4) and keeping only terms of zeroth and first order
in r /r, we have
0 ei(krt)
A(r, t) =
4
r





1

ik (
n r )J(r ) + .
dr J(r ) +
r

(7)

In the present case the lowest-order term in this expansion is nonvanishing, so

in what follows we drop the higher-order terms. We then need to compute the
volume integral of J :
Z
Z
J(r ) dr = r ( J) dr
Z
= i
r (r ) dr
= ip.

(8)

Then (7) becomes

i0 ei(krt)
p.
(9)
4
r
In this case we know the potential difference between the upper and lower
hemispheres is
V = 2V cos t.
A(r, t) =

Homer Reids Solutions to Jackson Problems: Chapter 9

Hence the total charge on one hemisphere is

Q = CV = 2CV cos t
where C is the capacitance of the spherical shell, which we will work out later.
This charge is spread out uniformly over the 2R2 surface area of the hemisphere. Then the amplitude of the oscillating charge density is

2CV

(r R),
0<<
2
2R
2
(r, , ) =

2CV (r R),
< < .
2R2
2
Only the z component of the dipole moment is nonvanishing:
Z
pz =
z(r)dr
2CV
=
2R2

2CV
2R2
"Z
= 2CV R

0
Z

/2

/2

0
2

(r R)r2 sin d d dr

/2

sin d

(r R)r2 sin d d dr

sin d

/2

= 4CV R.
The vector potential is
i0 eikr

CV Rk.

r
The fields in the radiation zone are


ck 2 eikr

H=
CV R n
k
r
h

i
ck 2 eikr
.
CV R n
n
k
E = Z0
r
A=

The angular distribution of power is

dP
c2 Z 0 4
k (CV R)2 sin2
=
d
8 2
and the total power radiated is
P =

4c2 Z0 k 4
(CV R)2 .
3

Finally, for completeness, lets calculate the capacitance C. Suppose we have

total charges Q on the top hemisphere and Q on the bottom hemisphere. Then
the surface charge density is
Q
=
.
2R2

Homer Reids Solutions to Jackson Problems: Chapter 9

The electric potential at the south pole of the shell is


Z
Z
dA
dA
1
.

40 upper hemisphere |R R |
lower hemisphere |R R |
The distance
from the south pole to a point on the surface with angles , is
p
just R 2(1 + cos ), so
Q
=
4 20 R
Q
=
2 20 R
Q
=
2 20 R


Z 0
du
du

1/2
1/2
0 (1 + u)
1 (1 + u)





1 


 1 + u  1 + u 10
Z

h
i
22 .

The electric potential at the north pole is the negative of this, so the potential
difference is
h
i
Q
V =
22 .
20 R

Then the capacitance of the shell is

C=
Is this right?

h
i
Q
= 0 R 1 + 2 .
V