Classical Mechanics - PHYS 310 - Fall 2013 Lec 30: Supplementary Notes

Department of Physics, Southern Illinois University Instructor: Thushari Jayasekera ([email protected])

Canonical Equations of Motion and Hamiltonian Dynamics In the last two lectures, we define a new
quantity Hamiltonian as :

X
H= q̇j pj − L (1)
j

For the case where the transformation equations does not have any explicit time dependance, we figured
that the above quantity can be written as:

H =T +V (2)

And also we have proved the canonical equations of motion as:

∂H
q̇j = (3)
∂pj
∂H
−ṗj = (4)
∂qj

E XAMPLE
Use both the Lagrangean method and the Hamiltonian method to find the equations of motion for a
spherical pendulum of mass m and length b.

The motion of the spherical pendulum can be explained by (r, θ, φ), spherical polar coordinates.
In spherical polar coordinates:

v 2 = ṙ2 + r2 θ̇2 + r2 Sin2 θφ̇2 (5)

with the constraint r = b.

So the Kinetic Energy becomes:

1  2 2 
T = m b θ̇ + b2 Sin2 θφ̇2 (6)
2
and the Potential Energy
 V = −mgbCosθ (7)

So the first step is to write the Lagrangean:

L = T −V (8)
1  2 2 
L = m b θ̇ + b2 Sin2 θφ̇2 + mgbCosθ (9)
2
Let’s first solve this problem using Lagrngean method

Euler-Lagrangean Equation w.r.t. θ

∂L d ∂L
− =0
∂θ dt ∂ θ̇
1 d
nonumber mb2 2SinθCosθφ̇2 − mgbSinθ − mb2 θ̇ = 0 (10)
2 dt

g
θ̈ − SinθCosθφ̇2 + Sinθ = 0 (11)
b

Euler-Lagrangean Equation w.r.t. φ

∂L d ∂L
− =0
∂φ dt ∂ φ̇
d
mb2 Sin2 θφ̇ = 0
dt
mb2 Sin2 θφ̇ = Constant (12)

We can solve for θ(t) and φ(t) using the equations (11) and (12)
Now let’s solve the same problem using the Canonical equations.

Using Canonical Equations

Since in this problem, the transformation equations do not have any explicit time dependance,

H = T +V
1  2 2 
H = m b θ̇ + b2 Sin2 θφ̇2 − mgbCosθ (13)
2
Now we have written the Hamiltonian, and then we need to convert the variables:
Using the eq. (8),

∂L pθ
pθ = = mb2 θ̇ → θ̇ = (14)
∂ θ̇ mb2
∂L pφ
pθ = = mb2 Sin2 θφ̇ → φ̇ = (15)
∂ θ̇ mb Sin2 θ
2

Substituting eq. (14) and (15), in eq. (13), we get:

 mb2  pθ 2 mb2 Sin2 θ  pφ 2
H = 2
+ 2 2
− mgbCosθ (16)
2 mb 2 mb Sin θ
p2θ p2φ
H = + − mgbSinθ (17)
2mb2 2mb2 Sin2 θ
Now we can apply the Canonical Equations of motion:
Each coordinate has 2 equations:
w.r.t. θ
∂H 2pθ
θ̇ = = → pθ = mb2 θ̇ (18)
∂θ !2mb2
∂H p2φ −2 p2φ Cosθ
ṗθ = − =− Cosθ + mgbSinθ = − mgbSinθ (19)
∂θ 2mb2 Sin3 θ mb2 Sin3 θ
∂H 2pφ
φ̇ = = → pφ = mb2 Sin2 θφ̇ (20)
∂φ 2mb2 Sin2 θ
∂H
p˙φ = − =0 → pφ = mb2 Sin2 θφ̇ = Constant (21)
∂φ
By Combining these equations:

p2φ Cosθ
mb2 θ̈ = − mgbSinθ (22)
mb2 Sin3 θ
(mb2 Sin2 θφ̇)2 Cosθ
mb2 θ̈ = − mgbSinθ (23)
mb2 Sin3 θ
mb2 θ̈ = mb2 SinθCosθφ̇2 − mgbSinθ (24)
g
θ̈ − SinθCosθφ̇2 + Sinθ = 0 (25)
b
We can in fact combine this equation with

mb2 Sin2 θφ̇ = Constant (26)

k
φ̇ = (27)
Sin2 θ

g
θ̈ − SinθCosθφ̇2 + Sinθ = 0 (28)
b
k2 g
θ̈ − SinθCosθ + Sinθ = 0 (29)
Sin4 θ b
2 Cosθ g
θ̈ − k + Sinθ = 0 (30)
Sin3 θ b
E XAMPLE
A pendulum consists of a mass m suspended by a massless spring with untended length b and spring
constant k. The pendulum support rises vertically with constant acceleration a.
(a) Use the Lagrangean method to find the equation of motion
(b) Determine the Hamiltonian and Hamilton’s equation of motion.
(c) What is the period of small oscillation?

Let’s first write the transformation equations.

x = rSinθ → ẋ = ṙSinθ + rθ̇Cosθ (31)

1 2
y= at − rCosθ → ẏ = at − ṙCosθ + rθ̇Sinθ (32)
2
We can write the Kinetic energy as:

1  2  2
T = m ṙSinθ + rθ̇Cosθ + at − ṙCosθ + rθ̇Sinθ (33)
2  
1     2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
= m ṙ Sin θ + r θ̇ Cos θ + 2rṙθ̇SinθCosθ + a t + 2at rθ̇Sinθ − ṙCosθ + rθ̇Sinθ − ṙCosθ (34)
2
1 h 2 2 2  i
= m ṙ + θ̇ + a2 t2 + 2at rθ̇Sinθ − ṙCosθ (35)
2
and the potential energy as:

 
1 2 1 2 1 2
V = mgy + k (r − b) = mg at − rCosθ + k (r − b) (36)
2 2 2
The Lagrangean equation can be written as :

1 h 2  i  
1 2

1

2 2 2 2 2
L = m ṙ + r θ̇ + a t + 2at rθ̇Sinθ − ṙCosθ − mg at − rCosθ + k (r − b) (37)
2 2 2
Now with the Lagrangean, we can write the two Euler-Lagrangean equations: w.r.t θ and w.r.t. r
Now let’s set up the Hamiltonian.
Unlike in the previous problems we did, in this case, the transformation equation has an explicit time
dependance. So,

H 6= T + V (38)

So we set up the Hamiltonian as:

X
H= pj q̇j − L (39)
j

H = pr ṙ + pθ θ̇ − L (40)
 Let’s find the generalized momenta:
1 h  i  
1 2

1

2
L = m ṙ2 + r2 θ̇2 + a2 t2 + 2at rθ̇Sinθ − ṙCosθ − mg at − rCosθ + k (r − b) (41)
2 2 2

∂L pr
pr = = mṙ − matCosθ → ṙ = + a t Cosθ (42)
∂ ṙ m
∂L pθ at
pθ = = mr2 θ̇ + m a t r Sinθ → θ̇ = − Sinθ (43)
∂ θ̇ mr2 r
Now we can evaluate the Hamiltonian:

H = pr ṙ + pθ θ̇ − L (44)
p2r at p2
H = + pr atCosθ − pθ Sinθ + θ 2 − L (45)
m r mr
By simplifying all the terms:

p2r p2θ at 1 1
H= + 2
− pθ Sinθ + a tpr Cosθ + m g a t2 − m g r Cosθ + k(r − b)2 (46)
2m 2mr r 2 2
Now we have west up H(r, pr , θ, pθ , t), then we can apply the Canonical equations.

∂H pθ at
θ̇ = = − Sinθ (47)
∂pθ mr2 r

∂H pr
ṙ = = + a t Cosθ (48)
∂pr m
Next set of equation:
∂H
pr = − (49)
∂r
∂H
pθ = − (50)
∂θ

C ONSERVED Q UANTITIES
In the last class, along with the canonical equation, we also had another equation:
∂L ∂H
− = (51)
∂t ∂t
Let’s take the total derivative of H:
X
H= q̇j pj − L (52)
j
dH X dL
= q̈j pj + q̇j ṗj − (53)
dt j
dt

L → L(qj , q̇j , t) (54)

dL X ∂L ∂L ∂L
= q̇j + q̈j + (55)
dt j
∂qj ∂ q̇ j ∂t
dL X ∂L ∂L
= q̇j + pj q̈j + (56)
dt j
∂qj ∂t
Now,

 
dH X X ∂L ∂L
= q̈j pj + q̇j ṗj −  q̇j + pj q̈j +  (57)
dt j j
∂qj ∂t
dH X ∂L ∂L
= q̇j ṗj − q̇j + (58)
dt j
∂qj ∂t
dH X ∂L
= q̇j ṗj − ṗj q̇j − (59)
dt j
∂t
dH ∂L
= − (60)
dt ∂t
dH ∂H
= (61)
dt ∂t
This tells that, if L does not explicitly depend on time, Hamiltonian is conserved.
If H does not explicitly depend on time, H is conserved.