Jackson 5.

13 Homework Problem Solution

Dr. Christopher S. Baird
University of Massachusetts Lowell

PROBLEM:
A sphere of radius a carries a uniform surface-charge distribution σ. The sphere is rotated about a
diameter with constant angular velocity ω. Find the vector potential and magnetic-flux density both
inside and outside the sphere.

SOLUTION:
The current density in spherical coordinates is:

J=  a sin  r −a  

0 J x '
A= ∫
4  ∣x−x '∣
d x'

'
 0   a sin ' r '−a  
A=
4
∫ ∣x−x '∣
d x'

Expand the denominator in spherical harmonics.

0 2  ∞ ∞ l
1 r l *
A= ∫ ∫
4 0 0 0
∫    r '−a  ' 4  ∑ ∑

l1
Y l m  ' ,'Y lm  ,  r '2 sin 2  ' dr ' d  ' d '
l=0 m =−l 2 l1 r 

We must be careful and realize that   '≠

 because the primed variables are being integrated over. The
 '=−sin ' i cos ' j
best way to handle this is to use the expansion: 

2  ∞ l
∞
1 rl
A= 0   a ∫ ∫ ∫  r '−a −sin ' icos ' j  ∑ ∑ Y * ' , 'Y lm  ,  sin2  ' dr ' d  ' d '
0 0 0 l =0 m=−l 2l1 r 'l −1 l m

for r < r' (inside the sphere).

2  ∞ ∞ l l 2
1 r'
A= 0   a ∫ ∫ ∫  r '−a −sin ' icos ' j  ∑ ∑ l1
Y *l m  ' , 'Y lm  ,sin 2  ' dr ' d  ' d '
0 0 0 l =0 m=−l 2l1 r

for r > r' (outside the sphere).

Now evaluate the delta functions and rearrange:

l
∞
1 rl
A= 0   ∑ ∑ Y  ,  I l , m (inside)
l =0 m=−l 2 l1 a l−2 lm
 l
∞
1 a l3
A= 0   ∑ ∑ Y  ,  I l ,m (outside)
l =0 m=−l 2 l1 r l 1 lm

2 
where I l ,m=∫ ∫ −sin ' i cos  ' j Y *l m  ' ,' sin2 ' d  ' d '
0 0

Expand the definition of the spherical harmonics to solve the integrals:

2 
I l ,m=
 
2l 1 l −m!
4  l m! 0
∫ −sin ' i cos  ' j e −i m  ' d '∫ P ml cos  'sin 2  ' d  '
0

Due to the orthogonality in the first integral, all terms vanish except m = 1 and m = -1. The first integral
can then be easily calculated to yield:


I l ,±1=
 
2 l1  l∓1 !
4   l±1 !
 ±i i j ∫ P±1
0
2
l cos  ' sin  ' d  '

Make the substitution x=cos  , dx=−sin  d  and recognize

sin =1− x 2=P 11  x =−2 P−1

1  x

1
I l ,1=
 
2 l1 l−1 !
4  l1 !
 i i j ∫ P 1l  x  P 11  x  dx
−1

1
I l ,−1=
  2 l1  l1 !
4   l−1 !
 −i i  j −2∫ P−1
−1
−1
l  x  P 1  x dx

Due to orthogonality, only the l = 1 term is nonzero, leading to:

I 1,±1=
 2  
3
i i ± j 

The solution is now just the sum of the l = 1, m = -1 term and the l = 1, m = 1 term.

0 
A= a r [Y 1,1  ,  I 1,1Y 1,−1  ,  I 1,−1 ] (inside)
3

 0  a4
A= [Y  ,  I 1,1Y 1,−1  ,  I 1,−1 ] (outside)
3 r 2 1,1

We note that Y 1,−1=−Y *1,1 and I 1,−1=−I *1,1 so that:

0 
A= a r [Y 1,1  ,  I 1,1Y *1,1  ,  I *1,1 ] (inside)
3
  0  a4
A= 2
[Y 1,1  ,  I 1,1Y *1,1  ,  I *1,1 ] (outside)
3 r

For complex numbers in general z z *=2 ℜ z  so that our final solutions become

0 
A=  (inside)
a r sin  
3

 0  a4
A= sin   (outside)
3 r2

The magnetic flux density then becomes:

B=∇ ×A

Expand in spherical coordinates, keeping only terms that are non-zero for this case:

1 ∂ sin  A − 1 ∂ r A 
B=r  
r sin  ∂ r ∂r

Inside:

2
B= a  0   [ cos  r −sin   ]
3

2
B= a  0   z
3

Outside:

 0   a4
B= [2 cos  r sin   ]
3 r3

 0   a4
B= [ 3cos  r − z ]
3 r3