1

Assignment 3

Q1: A particle of mass m moves in a force of the form

F⃗ = −αrr̂

and has angular momentum L.

(a) Show that bound orbit of the particle only possible when α > 0 and when α > 0, find the radius of the circular
orbit.
(b) What is the minimum energy such a particle can have (α > 0)?
(c) Try to solve for its orbit equation by substituting y = 1/r2 to arrive at

1 mE
2
= 2 + B cos 2(ϕ − ϕ0 ),
r L
where B is a positive constant.
(d) Understand the above equation is an equation of ellipse.

Soln:
(a) To have bound orbit, we need a minima of the Veff . For a force of the form F⃗ = −αrr̂, the potential has the form

V (r) = αr2 /2.

Then, dVeff /dr = 0 gives,

1/4
L2 L2 L2

dV
− = 0 ⇒ αr = ⇒ r0 = . (1)
dr mr3 mr3 mα

Obviously for α < 0, there is no real solution. Thus, only attractive square-law has bounded orbits.

(b) At the r = r0 ,
r r
L2 αr02 L2 L2  α α  L2 α
 
α
Veff (r0 ) = + = r02 + = + = (2)
2mr02 2 2 2mr04 mα 2 2 m
q
L2 α
As net energy E = Veff (r) + 21 mṙ2 , E > m .

(c) For such a potential, we need to solve

2
mαr2

1 dr 2m 2mE 1
= (E − Veff (r)) = − −
r2 dϕ L2 L2 r2 L2
 2
1 dr 2mE 1 mα
⇒ = − 4− 2 (3)
r3 dϕ r2 L2 r L

Now, let us use y = 1/r2 , then dy/dϕ = −2(dr/dϕ)/r3 . Then we write the orbit equation as
 2  2  2 2 
1 dy 2mEy 2 mα mE m E mα
= − y − = − y − + − ≡ −z 2 + B 2 . (4)
4 dϕ L2 L2 L2 L4 L2
 
m2 E 2 mα
Here, L4 − L2 > 0, due to Eq. (2). So, the solution is
Z Z
dz 1 mE
√ = 2dϕ ⇒ z = B cos 2(ϕ − ϕ0 ) ⇒ = 2 + B cos 2(ϕ − ϕ0 ). (5)
B2 − z2 r2 L
(6)
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(d) Lets put ϕ0 = 0, and cos 2ϕ = cos2 ϕ − sin2 ϕ. Then the equation for orbit becomes
   
mE mE mE
1 = 2 (x2 + y 2 ) + B(x2 − y 2 ) = + B x 2
+ − B y2 .
L L2 L2

Obviously both coefficients of x2 and y 2 are greater than zero and thus the solution is an ellipse.

Q2: (a) Show the vector identity

⃗ × (B
A ⃗ × C)
⃗ = B(
⃗ A⃗ · C)
⃗ − C(
⃗ A⃗ · B).
⃗

Try matching each components from the two sides.

(b) Using the above identity show
 
1 d ⃗r
3
⃗r × (⃗r × ⃗r˙ ) = − .
r dt r

⃗ using
(c) For a particle of mass m moving in a central force with potential V (r) = − αr with angular momentum L,
the above relation, show that

⃗ − α ⃗r
⃗ = ⃗r˙ × L
A
r
⃗
is dynamically constant, i.e, dA/dt = 0.
⃗ ⃗
(d) Show that A · L = 0.

Soln:
(a) Lets look at the x̂ component of the quantity:

⃗ × (B
[A ⃗ × C)]
⃗ x = Ay (B
⃗ × C)
⃗ z − (B
⃗ × C)
⃗ y Az = Ay (Bx Cy − Cx By ) − (Bz Cx − Cz Bx )Az
   
= Bx (Ay Cy + Az Cz ) + Bx Ax Cx − Cx (Ay By + Az Bz ) + Cx Ax Bx
⃗ A
= [B( ⃗ · C)
⃗ − C(
⃗ A⃗ · B)]
⃗ x

Thus, adding all components, we get

⃗ × (B
A ⃗ × C)
⃗ = B(
⃗ A⃗ · C)
⃗ − C(
⃗ A⃗ · B).
⃗ (7)

(b) Using the above

 
1 1 1 1 d ⃗r
⃗r × (⃗r × ⃗r˙ ) = 3 (⃗r(⃗r · ⃗r˙ ) − ⃗r˙ (⃗r · ⃗r)) = 3 (rṙ⃗r − r2⃗r˙ ) = 2 (ṙ⃗r − r⃗r˙ ) = − . (8)
r3 r r r dt r

⃗ = m⃗r × ⃗r˙ . Thus,

(c) L

F⃗
 
¨ ⃗ ⃗ α ˙ d ⃗r
⃗r × L = × L = − 3 ⃗r × (⃗r × ⃗r) ≡ α . (9)
m r dt r

But,

⃗
⃗ = d (⃗r˙ × L)
⃗r¨ × L ⃗ − ⃗r˙ × dL = d (⃗r˙ × L).
⃗
dt dt dt
Putting this back in the previous equation, we get
 
d ˙ ⃗ ⃗r
⃗r × L − α = 0,
dt r
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which implies

⃗ − α ⃗r = conts. ≡ A.
⃗r˙ × L ⃗
r
⃗·L ⃗
⃗ = −αm ⃗r·L
(d) A r = 0.

Q3: (a) Show the vector identity

⃗ · (B
A ⃗ × C)
⃗ = −B
⃗ · (A
⃗ × C)
⃗ =B
⃗ · (C
⃗ × A)
⃗ = −C
⃗ · (B
⃗ × A)
⃗ =C
⃗ · (A
⃗ × B)
⃗ (10)

and so on. Thus anti-clockwise rotation of A, B, C does not change the value and clockwise rotation changes the value
by a ‘-’ sign.
(b) Using this show that, for a particle of mass m moving in a central force with potential V (r) = − αr with angular
momentum L, ⃗

⃗ + αmr,
L2 = m⃗r · A

and
L2 1
r= ⃗
,
mα 1 + |A|
α cos ϕ

⃗ is defined in the previous question.

which is the same equation for orbit we derived earlier. Here A p
(c) Show that eccentricity, A/α is the same as we defined earlier. Start by evaluating A = A ⃗ · A.
⃗

Soln:
(a) We have

⃗ · (B
A ⃗ × C)
⃗ = Ax (B
⃗ × C)
⃗ x + Ay (B
⃗ × C)
⃗ y + Az (B
⃗ × C)
⃗ z
Ax Ay Az
= Bx By Bz . (11)
Cx Cy Cz

Now determinants get a ’-’ sign each time any two rows are exchanged. This imply:
⃗ · (B
A ⃗ × C)
⃗ = −B
⃗ · (A
⃗ × C)
⃗ =B
⃗ · (C
⃗ × A)
⃗ = −C
⃗ · (B
⃗ × A)
⃗ =C
⃗ · (A
⃗ × B)
⃗ (12)

and so on. Thus anti-clockwise rotation of A, B, C does not change the value and clockwise rotation changes the value
by a ’-’ sign.
(b) Now,
 
L2 = L⃗ ·L⃗ = mL⃗ · ⃗r × ⃗r˙ ≡ m⃗r · (⃗r˙ × L),
⃗ (13)

where we used the property of the triple product. But,

⃗r˙ × L ⃗ + α ⃗r .
⃗ =A
r
So,
 
2 ⃗ + α ⃗r
L = m⃗r · A ⃗ + αmr.
= m⃗r · A
r

Thus, we solve for r, as

L2 1
r= ⃗
.
mα 1 + |A| cos ϕ
α
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⃗ and ⃗r. Which essentially means that  ≡ x̂, which we can do because A
Here ϕ is the angle between A ⃗ is a constant
vector.

The above is the equation of motion of the particle, which is a conic section with eccentricity ϵ = A/α.

⃗ = Lẑ and ⃗v = vx x̂ + vy ŷ, we have,

(c) Considering L

⃗ = L(vx x̂ + vy ŷ) × ẑ = L(−vx ŷ + vy x̂).

⃗v × L

This implies
⃗ · (⃗v × L)
(⃗v × L) ⃗ = L2 (vx2 + vy2 ) = L2 v 2 .

Alternatively, one can use Eq. (8) to prove the same. Using this,
2
2EL2
 
⃗ − α ⃗r ⇒ A2 = v 2 L2 + α2 − 2 α ⃗r · (⃗v × L)
⃗ = ⃗v × L
A ⃗ = v 2 L2 + α2 − 2 α L2 = α2 + 2L 1
mv 2 −
α
= α2 + .
r r mr m 2 r m

Thus,
r
A 2EL2
ϵ= = 1+ . (14)
α mα2