NATURAL SCIENCES TRIPOS Part II

Wednesday 13 January 2016 10.30am to 12.30pm

THEORETICAL PHYSICS I

Answer all questions to the best of your abilities. The approximate

number of marks allotted to each part of a question is indicated in
the right margin where appropriate. The paper contains four sides
and is accompanied by a booklet giving values of constants and
containing mathematical formulae which you may quote without
proof.

1 A bead with mass M slides, without friction, along an infinite fixed coil
which constrains the bead’s cylindrical coordinates, (rB , θB , zB ), to be (a, θB , bθB ).
A massless spring with zero natural length and spring constant k connects the
bead to an unconstrained particle with mass m and cylindrical coordinates (r, θ, z).

m
(r, ,z)

M
(a, B,b B )

(a) Show that, up to irrelevant constants and ignoring gravity, the Lagrangian for
the system is: [6]
 
1 2 2 2 2 M 2 2 2
L = m ṙ + ż + r θ̇ + (a + b )θ̇B
2 m
1
− k r2 − 2ar cos(θ − θB ) + (z − bθB )2 .


2

(TURN OVER for continuation of question 1

 2

(b) Find the corresponding equations of motion for the particle and the bead. [5]
(c) The system has a helical symmetry. Find the corresponding conserved
quantity. [8]
(d) The particle is released from rest at (r0 , θ0 , z0 ). A time T later it is at
(r0 , θ0 , z0 + ∆z). If the mass of the bead is negligible, show that
2A
∆z = −
b
where A is a geometric property of the particle’s trajectory, and give the geometric
interpretation of A. [6]

2 (a) Show that the Lagrangian density

1
L = − Fαβ F αβ ,
4
where Fµν = ∂µ Aν − ∂ν Aµ , leads to two of Maxwell equations for a free
electromagnetic field. [6]
(b) The electromagnetic stress-energy tensor is

T µν = −F µλ F νλ − g µν L .

Show that it is conserved. [8]

(c) The Lagrangian density for the interaction of a complex scalar field φ with the
electromagnetic field Aµ (in natural units) is

L = (Dµ φ)∗ (Dµ φ) − m2 φ∗ φ − 41 F µν Fµν ,

where Dµ φ = (∂µ + iqAµ )φ and (Dµ φ)∗ = (∂µ − iqAµ )φ∗ . Show that the equation
of motion for the electromagnetic field Aµ is ∂µ F µν = J ν , where [6]

J µ = iq [φ∗ Dµ φ − φ(Dµ φ)∗ ] .

(d) The Lagrangian density L is invariant under local phase transformation,

φ0 (x) = e−iqα(x) φ(x), provided that a simultaneous Gauge transformation is
performed, A0µ (x) = Aµ (x) + ∂µ α(x), where the function α(x) and the constant q
are real. Use Noether’s theorem to verify that ∂µ J µ = 0. [5]

 
In some parts of the question you may find it helpful to use Bianchi’s identity:
 
 µ νλ ν λµ λ µν

 ∂ F + ∂ F + ∂ F = 0. 

(TURN OVER
 3

3 Consider the Klein-Gordon Lagrangian density for a complex scalar field in

Minkowski space, coupled to an external vector potential Aµ and to a
time-dependent driving force f (t):

L = (∂µ φ∗ ) (∂ µ φ) − m2 φ∗ φ + ieAµ [φ∂ µ φ∗ − φ∗ ∂ µ φ] + f (t) (φ + φ∗ )

where Aµ = (V (r), 0, 0, 0) and V (r) is a real function of the space coordinates r

but is independent of time.
(a) Show that the Euler-Lagrange equations can be written as

∂µ ∂ µ φ + 2ieAµ (r)∂µ φ + m2 φ = f (t)

and equivalently for φ∗ . [5]

(b) The Green’s function G(r, r 0 ; t, t0 ) is a solution of the above equation of motion
when the right hand side is replaced by δ(t − t0 )δ (3) (r − r 0 ). Using the following
sign convention for the Fourier transform,

d3 k
Z Z
dω
G(k; ω) e−iω(t−t )+ik·(r −r ) ,
0 0 0 0
G(r, r ; t, t ) = 3
2π (2π)

show that G(k; ω) satisfies the equation

d3 k 0
Z
V (k − k0 )G(k0 ; ω) = 1
 2
−ω + k 2 + m2 G(k; ω) + 2eω

(2π) 3

0
d3 r V (r)e−i(k−k )·(r −r ) .
0
where V (k − k0 ) =
R
[8]
(c) Consider the case where V (k − k0 ) = −(2π)3 iγ δ (3) (k − k0 ), γ real and positive.
Show that one can then obtain G(k; t, t0 ) from the integral [3]
0
e−iω(t−t )
Z
0 dω
G(k; t, t ) =
2π −ω 2 − 2eγiω + k 2 + m2
Discuss the location of the poles as a function of k, for fixed m, e, and γ. Draw
schematically where they appear in the complex ω plane for k 2 + m2 > e2 γ 2 and
for k 2 + m2 < e2 γ 2 . [6]
(d) Assume that k 2 + m2 > e2 γ 2 . Using contour integration and Cauchy’s theorem,
compute G(k; t, t0 ) for t > t0 as well as t < t0 . Justify your choice of contour in each
case. [3]

4 A ferromagnet consists of a large number, N , of interacting vector spins,

{si }, which each have unit length but can point in any direction. Each spin
interacts with many other spins via an interaction energy E = −si · sj , which

(TURN OVER for continuation of question 4

 4

favors alignment.
PN We propose a Landau theory of the following form to study
1
m ≡ N i=1 si , the average magnetization of the system:

f = am + bm2 + cm3 + dm4

where m = |m|.
(a) Recalling the definition of E, explain which of the above coefficients are
permitted, and whether they are positive or negative when the system is aligned
and when it is disordered. You may assume no more terms are required in the
expansion. [5]
(b) Writing b = (T − Tc )/Tc , and ignoring the temperature dependence of the
other parameters, find and plot the equilibrium value of m as a function of T . Is
the phase transition continuous or discontinuous? What symmetry does the
system break at its phase transition? [5]
A nematic liquid crystal is similar to a ferromagnet, in that it consists of a large
number, N , of interacting rod shaped molecules each oriented along a vector si .
However, in this case the molecules interact via an energy E = − (si · sj )2 .
Nematic liquid crystals also display a transition from disordered to aligned at a
given temperature.
(c) By considering the ground stateP of the nematic energy, explain qualitatively
why in this case the vector m ≡ N N
1
i=1 si always vanishes, and hence m is not a
good order parameter. [3]
(d) We instead use the 3 × 3 tensor order parameter Sαβ = N1 N
P
i=1 (3siα siβ − δαβ ),
where siα is the α component of si , with α = x, y, z. Show that Tr(S) = 0. [2]
A Landau theory for liquid crystals requires us to expand out the free-energy in
powers of invariants of S, leading to the form

f = a Tr (S · S) + b Tr (S · S · S) + c Tr (S · S · S · S) .

(e) By writing Sαβ = Q(3nα nβ − δαβ ), where n is a unit vector pointing along the
alignment direction, and Q is a scalar measure of the degree of alignment, plot
graphs of f as a function of Q for a range of values of b ≤ 0, assuming a > 0 and
c > 0 are both constant. Is the transition continuous or discontinuous? [5]
(f) Find the critical value of b ≤ 0 at which the transition occurs, and the value of
Q just above and below the transition. Recall that the equilibrium value of Q
minimizes f. [5]

END OF PAPER