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PROBLEM:
A hollow sphere of inner radius a has the potential specified on its surface to be =V , . Prove
the equivalence of the two forms of solution for the potential inside the sphere:
a a 2 r 2 V ' , '
(a) x=
4
r a 22 a r cos 3/ 2
2
d'
r Alm= d 'Y *lm ' , ' V ' , '
(b) x= Alm Y lm , where
l =0 m=l a
SOLUTION:
The first solution is just the Green function method solution and the second is the Laplace equation
solution. Let us solve both.
The spherical Green function was found using the method of images to be:
1 1
G x , x ' =
xx ' x ' a
a
x x '
x'
In spherical coordinates this becomes:
1 1
G x , x ' =
x x ' 2 x x ' cos x ' x 2a 22 x x ' cos
2 2 2
2
a
The normal derivative of the spherical Green function for the internal problem, evaluated at the
sphere's surface, is found to be:
x 2 a 2
[ ]
dG
dn' x' =a
= 2 2
a x a 2 x a cos
3 /2
x=
1
4
d GD
d n'
da '
1 d GD 2
x= a d'
4 d n'
2 2
a a r
x=
4
r 2aV22
' , '
r a cos 3/ 2
d ' where cos =cos cos 'sin sin 'cos '
If we instead try to solve the Laplace equation, we start with the general solution (as derived
previously) in terms of Spherical Harmonics Ylm:
l
r , ,= Al , m r l B l ,m r l1 Y lm ,
l =0 m=l
The region of interest includes the origin, so in order to have a valid solution there, Bl,m must be zero
l
r , ,= Al , m r l Y lm ,
l =0 m=l
l
V ,= Al , m a l Y lm ,
l =0 m=l
2 l 2
2
Al , m=al Y *l ' m ' ,V ,sin d d
0 0
Finally:
l l
r *
x= Alm Y lm , where Alm= d 'Y lm ' , ' V ' , '
l =0 m=l a
We have therefore indirectly shown that the two forms are equivalent because they are both valid
solutions of the same problem.
a a 2 r 2
x=
4
r 2aV22
' , '
a r cos 3/ 2
d'
If we take r0 to be a vector pointing to the location a , ' , ' then this becomes:
l
1
1 rl *
=4 l1
Y l m ' , 'Y lm ,
r 2 a 22 a r cos l =0 m=l 2 l1 a
Take the derivative of the original expansion on both sides with respect to a and multiply by (-a):
l
a r cos a2
l1 r l *
r 2a 22 a r cos 3 /2
=4 2 l1 a l1 Y l m ' , ' Y lm ,
l=0 m=l
Finally:
l l
r Alm= d 'Y *lm ' , ' V ' , '
x= Alm Y lm , where
l =0 m=l a