11/21/2004 Example A Hollow Tube of Current 1/7

Example: A Hollow
Tube of Current
Consider a hollow cylinder of uniform current, flowing in the aˆz
direction:

J ( r ) = J 0 aˆz

aˆz

c
The inner surface of the b
x
hollow cylinder has
radius b, while the outer
surface has radius c.

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

11/21/2004 Example A Hollow Tube of Current 2/7

The current density in the hollow cylinder is uniform, thus we

can express current density J ( r ) as:

⎧ 0 ρ <b
⎪
⎪
⎪ ⎡ Amps ⎤
J ( r ) = ⎨J 0aˆz b < ρ <c ⎢⎣ m 2 ⎥⎦
⎪
⎪
⎪⎩ 0 ρ >c

Q: What magnetic flux density B ( r ) is produced by this

current density J ( r ) ?

A: We could use the Biot-Savart Law to determine B ( r ) ,

but note that J ( r ) is cylindrically symmetric!

In other words, current density J ( r ) has the form:

J ( r ) = J z ( ρ ) aˆz

The current is cylindrically

symmetric! I suggest you
use my law to determine
the resulting magnetic flux
density.

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

11/21/2004 Example A Hollow Tube of Current 3/7

Recall using Ampere’s Law, we determined that cylindrically

symmetric current densities produce magnetic flux densities of
the form:

µ0 Ienc
B (r ) = ˆaφ
2πρ
µ0 ρ
= ˆaφ Jz ( ρ ′) ρ ′ d ρ ′
ρ ∫0

Therefore, we must evaluate the integral for the current

density in this case. Because of the piecewise nature of the
current density, we must evaluate the integral for three
different cases:

1) when the radius of the Amperian path is less than b (i.e.,

ρ < b ).

2) when the radius of the Amperian path is greater than b

but less than c (i.e., b < ρ < c ).

3) when the radius of the Amperian path is greater than c.

ρ <b

Note for ρ < b , J ( r ) = 0 and therefore the integral is zero:

ρ ρ

∫ Jz ( ρ ′)
0
ρ′d ρ′ = ∫0
0
ρ′d ρ′ = 0

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

11/21/2004 Example A Hollow Tube of Current 4/7

and therefore:

µ0
B ( r ) = aˆφ 0
ρ
=0 for ρ <b

Thus, the magnetic flux density in the hollow region of the

cylinder is zero!

b < ρ <c

Note for b < ρ < c , J ( r ) = J 0 aˆz (i.e., J z ( ρ ) = J 0 ) and

therefore:

ρ b ρ

∫ Jz ( ρ ′)
0
ρ′d ρ′ = ∫ Jz ( ρ ′)
0
ρ ′ d ρ ′ + ∫ Jz ( ρ ′) ρ ′ d ρ ′
b
b ρ
= ∫0 ρ ′d ρ ′ + ∫ J0 ρ ′d ρ ′
0 b
ρ
= 0 + J0 ∫ ρ′d ρ′
b

⎛ ρ2 b2 ⎞
= J0 ⎜ − ⎟
⎝ 2 2 ⎠
⎛ ρ2 − b2 ⎞
= J0 ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

11/21/2004 Example A Hollow Tube of Current 5/7

and therefore the magnetic flux density in the non-hollow

portion of the cylinder is:

µ0 ⎛ ρ2 − b2 ⎞
B ( r ) = ˆaφ J0 ⎜ ⎟ for b < ρ <c
ρ ⎝ 2 ⎠

ρ >c

Note that outside the cylinder (i.e., ρ > c ), the current density
J ( r ) is again zero, and therefore:

ρ b c ρ

∫ Jz ( ρ ′) ρ ′ d ρ ′ = ∫ Jz ( ρ ′) ρ ′ d ρ ′ + b∫ Jz ( ρ ′) ρ ′ d ρ ′ + ∫c Jz ( ρ ′) ρ ′ d ρ ′
0 0
b c ρ
= ∫0 ρ ′d ρ ′ + ∫ J0 ρ ′d ρ ′ + ∫ 0 ρ ′d ρ ′
0 b c
c
= 0 + J0 ∫ ρ′d ρ′ + 0
b

⎛ c 2 b2 ⎞
= J0 ⎜ − ⎟
⎝ 2 2 ⎠
⎛ c 2 − b2 ⎞
= J0 ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠

Thus, the magnetic flux density outside the current cylinder is:

µ0 ⎛ c 2 − b2 ⎞
B ( r ) = ˆaφ J0 ⎜ ⎟ for c >ρ
ρ ⎝ 2 ⎠

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

11/21/2004 Example A Hollow Tube of Current 6/7

Summarizing, we find that the magnetic flux density produced

by this hollow tube of current is:

⎧
⎪
⎪ 0 ρ <b
⎪
⎪
⎪J 0 µ0 ⎛ ρ 2 − b 2 ⎞ ⎡Webers ⎤
B (r ) = ⎨ ⎜ ⎟ aˆφ b < ρ <c ⎢⎣ m 2 ⎥⎦
⎪ ρ ⎝ 2 ⎠
⎪
⎪
⎪ J 0 µ0 ⎛ c 2 − b 2 ⎞
⎪ ρ ⎜ 2 ⎟ aˆφ ρ >c
⎩ ⎝ ⎠

We can find an alternative expression by determining the total

current flowing through this cylinder (let’s call this current I0).
We of course can determine I0 by performing the surface
integral of the current density J ( r ) across the cross sectional
surface S of the cylinder:

I 0 = ∫∫ J ( r ) ⋅ ds
S
2π c
= ∫ b∫ J 0 aˆz ⋅ aˆz ρ d ρ d φ
0
2π c
= J0 ∫ ∫ ρ d ρ dφ
0 b

= J 0 π (c 2 − b 2 )

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

11/21/2004 Example A Hollow Tube of Current 7/7

Therefore, we can conclude that:

I0
J0 =
π (c 2 − b 2 )
Inserting this into the expression for the magnetic flux
density, we find:

⎧
⎪ 0 ρ <b
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎪ I 0 µ0 ⎛ ρ − b ⎞ ˆ ⎡Webers ⎤
2 2
B (r ) = ⎨ ⎜ 2 a
2 ⎟ φ
b < ρ <c ⎢⎣ m 2 ⎥⎦
⎪ 2 πρ ⎝ c − b ⎠
⎪
⎪
⎪ I 0 µ0
⎪ aˆφ ρ >c
⎩ 2 πρ

Note the field outside of the cylinder ( ρ > c ) behaves precisely

as would the field from a wire of current I0 !

|B|

b c ρ

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS