HW02 Sol
HW02 Sol
SOLUTION SET #2
[1] [Jose and Saletan problem 3.11] Consider a three-dimensional one-particle system whose
potential energy in cylindrical polar coordinates {, , z} is of the form V (, k + z), where
k is a constant.
(a) Find a symmetry of the Lagrangian and use Noethers theorem to obtain the constant
of the motion associated with it.
(b) Write down at least one other constant of the motion.
(c) Obtain an explicit expression for the dynamical vector field (see JS eqn. 3.73) and
use it to verify that the functions found in (a) and (b) are indeed constants of the motion.
Solution :
(a) We have
L = 21 m 2 + 2 2 + z 2 V (, k + z) .
()
+
z() z k .
Clearly
k + z = k + z ,
= m2 mkz
=0
is conserved: Q = 0.
(b) Since L
t = 0, the Hamiltonian H is conserved. And since the kinetic energy is homo z},
geneous of degree two in the generalized velocities {,
,
the Hamiltonian is simply the
total energy: H = T + U . Thus,
E = 12 m 2 + 2 2 + z 2 + V (, k + z)
is conserved: E = 0.
(c) The dynamical vector field is simply the total time derivative, expressed in terms of
derivatives with respect to coordinates and velocities:
=
= q
+ q
dt
q
q
+ z
+
+ z
+
+
z
z
d
V
V
= k
m2 =
dt
z
m
z=
V
,
z
which yield
=
1 V
m
k V
2
=
m2 z
z =
1 V
.
m z
Therefore, we have
Q = m2 mkz
= 2m + m2 + z (mk)
= 2m +
2
1 V
k V
2
m +
(mk)
m2 z
m z
=0.
We also have
E = 21 m 2 + 2 2 + z 2 + V (, k + z)
V
V
V
+
+ z
+ m 2 + m + m2 + mz z
z
V
V
V
1 V
2
2
=
+k
+ z
+ m + m
z
z
m
2
1 V
k V
2
+ mz
=0.
+ m
m2 z
m z
[2] [Jose and Saletan problem 3.24] Derive the equations of motion for the Lagrangian
i
h
L = et 21 mq2 21 kq 2 ,
where > 0. Compare with known systems. Rewrite the Lagrangian in terms of the new
variable Q q exp(t/2), and from this obtain a constant of the motion.
Solution : We have
p=
L
= mq et
q
F =
L
= kq et .
q
m q + m q = kq ,
L = 12 m Q 12 Q
2
21 kQ2
= 12 m Q 2 21 m Q Q
1
2
k 41 m 2 Q2 .
L
L
Q
= 21 m Q 2 +
=
2
1
2 m q
1
2
k 41 m 2 Q2 .
i
+ 21 m q q + 12 k q 2 et .
[3] A bead of mass m slides frictionlessly along a wire curve z = x2 /2b, where b > 0. The
wire rotates with angular frequency about the z axis.
(a) Find the Lagrangian of this system.
(b) Find the Hamiltonian.
(c) Find the effective potential Ueff (x).
(d) Show that the motion is unbounded for 2 > c2 and find the critical value c .
(e) Sketch the phase curves for this system for the cases 2 < c2 and 2 > c2 .
3
(f) Find an expression for the period of the motion when 2 < c2 .
(g) Find the force of constraint which keeps the bead on the wire.
Solution : We will solve this problem for a general shape z(x). Since the curve is rotating,
we will use the radial coordinate instead of x, keeping in mind that the wire is a onedimensional object and not a two-dimensional surface. The coordinate then indicates the
direction along the wire but perpendicular to the z axis. Note that R may be positive
or negative.
(a) The Lagrangian is
L(, z, ,
z)
= 21 m 2 + 12 mz 2 + 21 m 2 2 mgz .
This is supplemented by the constraint
G(, z) = z z() = 0 .
Of course, we could eliminate z as an independent degree of freedom from the outset, and
write
h
i
L(, )
= 12 m 1 + [z ()]2 2 + 2 2 mgz() .
(b) The Hamiltonian is
H = p q L
= 21 m 2 + 12 mz 2 12 m 2 2 + mgz
= 21 m 1 + [z ()]2 2 + Ueff () .
(c) The effective potential is
Ueff () = mgz() 12 m 2 2
= 21 m (c2 2 ) 2 ,
where c
p =
and thus
p =
L
= m 1 + [z ()]2 ,
2
= 2 gz () z () z () 2 .
1 + [z ()
4
du
ds
C = (1 + u2 ) v 2 u2
is the dimensionless velocity, and where sgn 2 c2 . Setting
du
dv
( v 2 ) u
=v
,
=
.
ds
ds
1 + u2
This phase flow has a single fixed point, at (u, v) = (0, 0), which is either a center ( 2 < c2 )
or a saddle point ( 2 > c2 ). A sketch of the phase flow for 2 < c2 is shown in Fig. 1; the
5
dv
( u2 6 u4 v 2 ) u
=
.
ds
2 (1 + u6 )
This flow, shown in Fig. 3, exhibits a saddle point at (u, v) = (0, 0) and two centers at
(u, v) = ( , 0). The separatrix, which flows through (0, 0), has C = 0. All the phase
curves are bounded.
We can go even farther in this analysis, using the conservation of H, which allows us to
write the motion as a first order ODE,
q
2
1 + z ()
dt = q
d .
2
H
U
()
eff
m
Identifying the turning points as solutions to
H = Ueff ( ) ,
we have the period for motion T (H) is
+ (H)
T (H) =
m
2
(H)
2
1 + z ()
.
H Ueff ()
T (H) = p
4
c2 2
Z/2 s
d 1 +
0
2H sin2
.
mb2 (c2 2 )
z = z () + z () 2 .
= 2 gz () z () z () 2 .
1 + [z ()
As we have seen above, this result also follows from H = 0. We may now solve for in
terms of and :
m
2
2
=
2 g + z () + z () .
1 + z ()
The force of constraint supplied by the wire is
,
= (Q + Qz z)
Q = Qn
8
where
z () + z
=q
n
2
1 + z ()
is the unit vector locally orthogonal to the tangent to the curve. Thus,
Q=
q
2
1 + z ()
m g + z () 2 + 2 z ()
q
.
=
2
1 + z ()
2H
m
2gz() + 2 2
.
2
1 + [z ()
[4] A particle of mass m is embedded, a distance b from the center, in a uniformly dense
cylinder of mass M . (The mass of the cylinder plus the inclusion is thus M + m.) The
cylinder rolls without slipping along a plane inclined at an angle with respect to the
horizontal, under the influence of gravity. The axis of the cylinder remains horizontal
throughout the motion.
(a) Choose an appropriate generalized coordinate and find the Lagrangian.
(b) Find the equations of motion.
(c) Under what conditions does a stable equilibrium exist?
(d) Find the frequency of small oscillations about the equilibrium.
Solution :
(a) Consulting the diagram in Fig. 4, let q be the distance of the cylinders point of contact
to the bottom of the wedge, and let be the angle the inclusion makes with respect to the
vertical, with = 0 pointing downward. The coordinates of the center of the cylinder, in
the plane perpendicular to its symmetry axis, are
xC = q cos R sin
yC = q sin + R cos .
Thus, the coordinates of the inclusion are
x = q cos R sin b sin
d
R( + ) = R .
dt
where
U () = (M + m)gR sin mgb cos .
(c) Equilibrium requires U () = 0, which says
M R
sin .
sin = 1 +
m b
Note that sin < 0, which means that the inclusion must lie to the right of the vertical
midline shown in Fig. 4. In order for a solution to exist, we must have
M R
sin 1 .
1+
m b
Thus, no solution exists unless
M R sin
,
b R sin
and of course we must have b > R sin . In fact, there are two solutions:
"
#
#
"
M R
M R
1
1
sin
, 2 = 2 sin
1+
sin .
1 = + sin
1+
m b
m b
m
(d) Since U () = mgb cos , so the solution = 1 is unstable while = 2 is stable. The
equation for small oscillations is
= 2 ,
where = 2 + and
2 =
I+
M R2
mR2
mgb cos 2
.
+ mb2 2mbR cos(2 + )
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