任风帆 2020511015 The second homework for Electrodynamics

Problem 1
First calculate the potential in the z axis
∫ R
1 σ · 2πr σ √ 2
V (z) = √ dr = ( R + z 2 − |z|)
4πϵ0 0 r2 + z 2 2ϵ0

√ ∑
+∞
(2n − 2)!
R2 + z 2 = R + (−1)n R1−2n (z 2 )n
n=1
22n−1 n!(n − 1)!

σ ∑
+∞
σ σ (2n − 2)!
⇒ V (z) = − |z| + (−1)n 2n−1 R1−2n z 2n
2ϵ0 2ϵ0 2ϵ0 n=1 2 n!(n − 1)!
In the spherical we have
∑
V = [Al rl + Bl r−(l+1) ]Pl (cos θ)
l

When we care about the potential on the z axis, the r = z, Pl (cos θ) =

Pl (1) = 1
∑
V (z) = [Al z l + Bl z −(l+1) ]
l

Compare it with the V (z) above

σ
A0 =
2ϵ0
 σ
 − , rz ≥ 0
A1 = 2ϵ 0
 σ , rz < 0
2ϵ0
σ ∑
+∞
(2n − 2)!
A2n = (−1)n 2n−1 R1−2n z 2n
2ϵ0 n=1 2 n!(n − 1)!
...
[ ∑
+∞ ]
σ σ σ (2n − 2)!
⇒V = − r cos θ+ n
(−1) 2n−1 R 1−2n 2n
r P2n (cos θ)
2ϵ0 2ϵ0 2ϵ0 n=1 2 n!(n − 1)!

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任风帆 2020511015 The second homework for Electrodynamics

Problem 2
(a)
Assume that
V (r, θ, ϕ) = R(r)Θ(θ)Φ(ϕ)
) ( ( )
∇2 V 2 1 dR 2 dR 1 1 d dΘ 1 1 d2 Φ
r = r + sin θ +
V R dr dr Θ sin θ dθ dθ Φ sin2 θ dϕ2
We can let ( )
1 d 2 dR
r = l(l + 1)
R dr dr
⇒ Rl (r) = Al rl + Bl r−(l+1)

We can also let

1 d2 Φ
− = m2
Φ dϕ2
⇒ Φm (ϕ) = Am eimϕ
( )
sin θ d dΘ
⇒ sin θ = m2 − l(l + 1) sin2 θ
Θ dθ dθ
⇒ Θm m
l (θ) = Pl (cos θ)
∑ ( )
−(l+1)
⇒V = l
Alm r + Blm r Plm (cos θ)e−imϕ
l=0,1,...
m=−l,−(l−1),...,l

∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ ∑ ( )
′
imϕ′ −(l+1)
V Plm
′ (cos θ)e dΩ = l
Alm r + Blm r
l=0,1,...
m=−l,−(l−1),...,l
′ ′
Plm (cos θ)e−imϕ Plm
′ (cos θ)e
im ϕ
dΩ

What we know is
∫ 2π ∫ π
′
im′ ϕ (2l′ + 1) (l′ − m′ )!
Plm (cos θ)e−imϕ Plm
′ (cos θ)e dΩ = δll′ δmm′
ϕ=0 θ=0 4π (l′ + m′ )!
∫ ∫ ( )
2π π
(2l + 1) (l − m)!
V (R)Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ = Alm Rl +Blm R−(l+1)
ϕ=0 θ=0 4π (l + m)!

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任风帆 2020511015 The second homework for Electrodynamics

∫ 2π ∫ π ∫ π
2
∫ π
2
V (R)Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ =V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ=0 θ=0 ϕ=0 θ=0
∫ π ∫ π
2
− V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ= π
2 θ=0
∫ 3π
2
∫ π
2
+ V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ=π θ=0
∫ 2π ∫ π
2
− V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ= 3π θ=0
∫ ∫
2
π
2 π
− V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ=0 θ= π
∫ π ∫ 2
π
+ V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ= π
2 θ= π
2
∫ 3π
2
∫ π
− V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ=π θ= π
∫ ∫
2
2π π
+ V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ= 3π
2 θ= π
2

If the l is odd, the function Plm (cos θ)eimϕ is antisymmetric about the
origin.
∫ 2π ∫ π ∫ π
2
∫ π
2
V (R)Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ =2V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ=0 θ=0 ϕ=0 θ=0
∫ π ∫ π
2
− 2V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ= π2 θ=0
∫ 3π
2
∫ π
2
+ 2V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ=π θ=0
∫ 2π ∫ π
2
− 2V0 Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ= 3π
2 θ=0

If the l is even, the function Plm (cos θ)eimϕ is symmetric about the
origin. ∫ ∫
2π π
V (R)Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ = 0
ϕ=0 θ=0

For r < R, to avoid that the potential is infinitely great at origin the

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任风帆 2020511015 The second homework for Electrodynamics

Blm should be zero

∫ ∫
(2l + 1) (l − m)! 2π π
Alm Rl = V (R)Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
4π (l + m)! ϕ=0 θ=0

∫ 2π ∫ π
4π (l + m)! −l
⇒ Alm = R V (R)Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
(2l + 1) (l − m)! ϕ=0 θ=0

∑ 4π (l + m)! −l
V = rl Plm (cos θ)e−imϕ R
l=1,3,...
(2l + 1) (l − m)!
m=−l,−(l−1),...,l
∫ 2π ∫ π
V (R)Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ=0 θ=0
∑ 4π (l + m)! −l
= rl Plm (cos θ)e−imϕ R
l=1,3,...
(2l + 1) (l − m)!
m=−l,−(l−1),...,l
∫ π [∫ π ∫ π
2 2
2V0 Plm (cos θ) sin θ dθ e imϕ
dϕ − eimϕ dϕ
θ=0 ϕ=0 ϕ= π
2
∫ 3π ∫ 2π ]
2
+ e imϕ
dϕ − e imϕ
dϕ
ϕ=π ϕ= 3π
2
∑ 4π (l + m)! −l
= rl Plm (cos θ)e−imϕ R
l=1,3,...
(2l + 1) (l − m)!
m=−l,−(l−1),...,l
∫ π [∫ 2π ∫ π ∫ 2π ]
2
2V0 Plm (cos θ) sin θ dθ e imϕ
dϕ − 2 e imϕ
dϕ − 2 e imϕ
dϕ
θ=0 ϕ=0 ϕ= π
2 ϕ= 3π
2

For r > R, to avoid that the potential is infinitely great at the infinitely
far point the Alm should be zero
∫ ∫
(2l + 1) (l − m)! 2π π
Blm R−(l+1) = V (R)Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
4π (l + m)! ϕ=0 θ=0

The V should be continuous, so

Aml Rl = Bml R−(l+1) ⇒ Bml = Aml R2l+1

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任风帆 2020511015 The second homework for Electrodynamics

∑ 4π (l + m)! −l
V = r−(l+1) Plm (cos θ)e−imϕ R
l=1,3,...
(2l + 1) (l − m)!
m=−l,−(l−1),...,l
∫ 2π ∫ π
V (R)Plm (cos θ)eimϕ dΩ
ϕ=0 θ=0
∑ 4π (l + m)! l+1
= r−(l+1) Plm (cos θ)e−imϕ R
l=1,3,...
(2l + 1) (l − m)!
m=−l,−(l−1),...,l
∫ π [∫ 2π ∫ π ∫ 2π ]
2
2V0 Plm (cos θ) sin θ dθ e imϕ
dϕ − 2 e imϕ
dϕ − 2 e imϕ
dϕ
θ=0 ϕ=0 ϕ= π
2 ϕ= 3π
2

(b)
∫∫
P1−1 (cos θ)e−iϕ dΩ
∫ π [∫ 2π ∫ π ∫ 2π ]
2
= m
Pl (cos θ) sin θ dθ e imϕ
dϕ − 2 e imϕ
dϕ − 2 e imϕ
dϕ
θ=0 ϕ=0 ϕ= π
2 ϕ= 3π
2

∫ 2π ∫π ∫ 2π
Assume that Fm = ϕ=0
eimϕ dϕ − 2 ϕ= π
eimϕ dϕ − 2 ϕ= 3π
eimϕ dϕ
2 2

F−1 = F0 = F−1 = 0

F−2 = −4i, F2 = 4i

F−3 = F0 = F3 = 0

So the leading term is l = 3, m = −2

∫ π
4V0 R4 πi −4 −2 2
− · r P3 (cos θ) · e2iϕ P3−2 (cos θ) sin θ dθ
105 θ=0
V0 R4 πi −4
=− · r cos θ sin2 θ · e2iϕ
6720
V0 R4 π −4
= · r cos θ sin2 θ · sin 2ϕ
6720
It is a quadrupole. First, the total charge is zero is abvious. So when
l = 0 the q00 is zero. For l is even, the Y1m is even under inversion and
this kind of charge distribution is odd under inversion. So for l is even, the
distribution is zero, what we need to consider is that l is odd. When l = 1,
it is dipole and because of the symmetry it is also zero. So the first non-zero
term is the quadrupole.

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任风帆 2020511015 The second homework for Electrodynamics

(c)
The leading term is still l = 3, m = −2

V0 R−3 π 3
· r cos θ sin2 θ · sin 2ϕ
6720
Problem 3
(a) ∫∫∫
1
q00 = ρ(r ′ )Y00
⋆
(θ′ , ϕ′ ) dτ ′ = √ qtot = 0
4π
∫∫∫
q1m = ρ(r ′ )r′ Y1m⋆
(θ′ , ϕ′ ) dτ ′
⋆
We know that when l = 1, Y1m is odd under inversion. And we know
ρ(r ′ ) is even under inversion, so that the function is odd under inversion
which lead into q1m = 0
∫∫∫
ρ(r ′ )r′ Y2m (θ′ , ϕ′ ) dτ ′
2 ⋆
q2m =

⋆
We know that when l = 2, Y2m is even under inversion. And we know
ρ(r ′ ) is even under inversion, so that the function is odd under inversion
which lead into q2m ̸= 0, so the leading term inversion
[ ∫∫∫ ]
11 ′ ′2 ⋆ ′ ′ ′ 1
ρ(r )r Y2m (θ , ϕ ) dτ l+1
Ylm (θ, ϕ)
ϵ0 5 r

(b) ∫∫∫
(3x′ − r′ )ρ(r ′ ) dτ ′
2 2
Q11 =

We know ρ(r ′ ) is even under inversion, (3x′ 2 − r′ 2 ) is also even under

inversion. So Q11 is not strictly required to be zero
∫∫∫ ∫∫∫
(3y ′ − r′ )ρ(r ′ ) dτ ′ , Q33 = (3z ′ − r′ )ρ(r ′ ) dτ ′
2 2 2 2
Q22 =

For the same reason we have Q22 and Q33 are not strictly required to
be zero ∫∫∫
Q12 = 3x′ y ′ ρ(r ′ ) dτ ′

If there is r1′ = (x′ , y ′ , z ′ )

3x′ y ′ ρ(r1′ )

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任风帆 2020511015 The second homework for Electrodynamics

Then there also is r2′ = (−x′ , y ′ , z ′ )

−3x′ y ′ ρ(r2′ ) = −3x′ y ′ ρ(r1′ )

So Q12 = 0
∫∫∫ ∫∫∫
′ ′ ′ ′
Q13 = 3x z ρ(r ) dτ , Q23 = 3y ′ z ′ ρ(r ′ ) dτ ′

For the same reason we have Q13 = Q23 = 0

If we add Q11 , Q22 , Q33

Q11 + Q22 + Q33 = 0

So there should be only one term in the three terms is dependent on

the other two terms
(c)
ϵ V
σ1 = (0 0 δR
)
R ln 1 + R

ϵ 0 V0
σ2 = − ( δR
)
(R + δR) ln 1 + R
∫∫∫
πϵ0 V0 δRL
(3x′ − r′ )ρ(r ′ ) dτ ′ = − ( ) (2R + δR)
2 2
Q11 =
ln 1 + δR
R
∫∫∫
πϵ0 V0 δRL
(3y ′ − r′ )ρ(r ′ ) dτ ′ = − ( ) (2R + δR)
2 2
Q22 =
ln 1 + δR
R
∫∫∫
πϵ0 V0 δRL
(3z ′ − r′ )ρ(r ′ ) dτ ′ = 2 ( ) (2R + δR)
2 2
Q33 =
ln 1 + δR
R

(d)
For the potential in the z axis
  
Q11 0 0 0
1 [ ]

 
 0 
V = 0 0 z  0 Q22 0  
8πϵ0 z 5
0 0 Q33 z
1 V0 δRL
= ( )
4z 3 ln 1 + δR
R

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任风帆 2020511015 The second homework for Electrodynamics

(e)
For the potential in the x axis
  
Q11 0 0 x
1 [ ]

 
 0 
V = x 0 0  0 Q22 0  
8πϵ0 x5
0 0 Q33 0
1 V0 δRL
=− ( )
8x ln 1 + δR
3
R