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V
d
P
r
r
( )
( )
2 2 2
2
2
,
where 2 cos
1 2 cos
1 .
d
V
r r rr
r r
r
r r
r
=
= +
| |
(
| = +
(
|
\ .
+
r
V
r
r
1.
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 5
Multipole expansions (continued)
So consider But first recall this infinite series:
where and s is any real number. (This is one form of the
binomial theorem.) Then
1 1 1
.
1
r
=
+
r
( )
( )
( ) ( )( )
0
2 3
!
1
! !
1 1 2
1
1! 2! 3!
s
n
n
s
x x
n s n
s s s s s
s
x x x
=
+ =
= + + + +
1 x <
2 3
1 1 1 3 5
1
2 8 16 r
| |
= + +
|
\ .
r
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 6
Multipole expansions (continued)
2 2
3 3
2 2 3 4
2
3
1 1 1 3
1 2 cos 2 cos
2 8
5
2 cos
16
1 1 3 3 3
1 cos cos cos
2 2 2 8
5
16
r r r r
r r r r r
r r
r r
r r r r r
r r r r r r
r
r
| | | | | |
= +
| | |
\ . \ . \ .
(
| | | |
+ (
| |
\ . \ .
(
| | | | | | | |
= + + +
| | | |
\ . \ . \ . \ .
| |
|
\ .
r
3 2 3
2
2
3 2
4
cos 4 cos
2 cos 8cos 8 cos
r r r r
r r r r
r r
r r
| | | | | |
+
| | |
\ . \ . \ .
| |
(
+ +
`
|
( \ .
)
2
2
4cos 4 cos
r r
r r
| |
= +
|
\ .
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 7
Multipole expansions (continued)
Collect terms with the same powers of and ignore
higher powers than for now:
, r r
( )
3
, r r
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
2
2
3
3
2
0 1 2
3
3
1 1 3 1
1 cos cos
2 2
5 3
cos cos
2 2
1
cos cos cos
cos
r r
r r r
r
r
r r
P P P
r r r
r
P
r
| | | |
= + +
| |
\ . \ .
| | | |
+ + (
| |
\ . \ .
(
| |
= + +
|
\ .
| |
+ + (
|
\ .
(
r
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 8
Multipole expansions (continued)
Thus,
( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( )
( )
0
0
2
2 2
3
3 3
4
1 1
cos
1
cos
1 1
cos
1 3 1
cos
2 2
1 5 3
cos cos
2 2
n
n
n
n
n
n
r
P
r r
r
V P d
r r
d r d
r
r
r d
r
r d
r
| |
=
|
\ .
| |
=
|
\ .
= +
| |
+
|
\ .
| |
+ +
|
\ .
r r
r r
r
r
V
V V
V
V
r
Monopole, Dipole
Quadrupole
Octupole
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 9
Electric multipoles
This is a useful approximation scheme, the more useful the
further away point P is from the charges within V, because
one can neglect the higher-order terms in the series after the
desired accuracy is achieved.
The monopole term:
If a charge distribution has a net total charge, it will tend
to look like a monopole (point charge) from large
distances.
( ) ( )
monopole
1
q
V d
r r
= =
r r
V
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 10
Electric multipoles
The dipole term:
where is called the dipole moment.
As usual, for surface, line and point charges, we have
The simplest dipole has two point charges,
separated by a displacement vector d that points from q
to +q.
( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2
1
cos , V r d d
r r r
= = =
r r
r r r r p
V V
( )
d
=
p r r
V
( ) ( )
1
, , .
n
i
i
da d q
=
= = =
i
p r r p r r p r
S C
, q
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 11
The dipole potential and field
Dipole moment is defined the same way in cgs and MKS.
Expressions for potential and field still need a factor of
to convert from cgs to MKS.
-q
q
d
r
P
dipole
2 2
dipole dipole
dipole dipole
3 3 3
cos cos
1
2 cos sin
1
qd p
V
r r
V
V V
r r
p p
r r r
= =
=
| |
= +
|
|
\ .
= +
E
r
r
0
1 4
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 12
Quadrupole, octupole,
A simple way to envision what the higher-order multipoles
look like is to construct them from the lower-order ones:
take two of the lower-order ones, invert one, and place the
two in close proximity.
The monopole moment (charge) is a scalar. The dipole
moment is a vector. Higher order multipole moments are
represented by higher-order tensors: the quadrupole moment
is a second-rank tensor, etc.
q
-q
q
-q
-q
q
-q
q
q
-q
q
-q
-q
q
Dipole Quadrupole Octupole
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 13
Example of the use of multipole expansions
Griffiths problem 3.26: A sphere of radius R, centered at the
origin, carries charge density
where k is a constant and r and are the usual spherical
coordinates. Find the approximate potential for points on the
z axis, far from the sphere.
Scheme: start by calculating the monopole term. If its not
zero, then its a good approximation to the potential, since its
larger by r/r than the dipole term. If it is zero, move on to
the dipole term. And so on
( ) ( )
2
, 2 sin ,
R
r k R r
r
=
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 14
Example (continued)
Monopole moment (charge):
No net charge, so move on to the dipole term.
( ) ( )
( )
2
2
2
0 0 0
2
2
0 0 0
2
2 2
0
0 0
1
2 sin sin
sin 2
sin 0
R
R
R
q d kR R r r drd d
r
kR d d R r dr
kR d d Rr r
(
= =
(
=
(
= =
r
V
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 15
Example (continued)
Dipole moment, or lack thereof:
( )
( )
( )
( )
2
2
2
0 0 0
2
2 2
0 0 0
2
3
2
0 0 0
cos
1
cos 2 sin sin
sin cos 2
sin
2 0
3
R
R
R
p r d
kR r R r r drd d
r
kR d d Rr r dr
kR d Rr r dr
=
(
=
(
=
(
= =
(
(
r
V
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 16
Example (continued)
Quadrupole moment (simple only because this is
spherical):
( )
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
2 2
2
2 2 2
2
0 0 0
2
2 2 2 3
0 0 0
4 4 2 5
3 1
cos
2 2
1
3cos 1 2 sin sin
2
3cos 1 sin 2
2
2 0
2 8 3 2 48
R
R
Q r d
kR
r R r r drd d
r
kR
d d Rr r dr
kR R R k R
| |
=
|
\ .
(
=
(
=
| |
| |
= =
|
|
|
\ .
\ .
r
V
21 October 2002 Physics 217, Fall 2002 17
Example (continued)
Thus, for a point way up the z axis,
( )
2 5
3 3
0
1 1
for the MKS answer
4
48
k R
V Q
z z
| |
=
|
\ .
r