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Electromagnetic Field Theory: A Problem Solving Approach

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 Problems 301

6 7 8 9 10 Exact

V 1 2.4975 2.4993 2.4998 2.4999 2.5000 2.5000

V 2 1.9982 1.9995 1.9999 2.0000 2.0000 1.9771
V 3 2.4987 2.4996 2.4999 2.5000 2.5000 2.5000
V 4 2.9991 2.9997 2.9999 3.0000 3.0000 3.0229

The results are surprisingly good considering the coarse

grid of only four interior points. This relaxation procedure
can be used for any values of boundary potentials, for any
number of interior grid points, and can be applied to other
boundary shapes. The more points used, the greater the
accuracy. The method is easily implemented as a computer
algorithm to do the repetitive operations.

PROBLEMS

Section 4.2
1. The hyperbolic electrode system of Section 4-2-2a only
extends over the range 0 x 5 xo, 0 - y - Yo and has a depth D.
(a) Neglecting fringing field effects what is the approxi-
mate capacitance?
(b) A small positive test charge q (image charge effects are
negligible) with mass m is released from rest from the surface
of the hyperbolic electrode at x = xo, y = ab/xo. What is the
velocity of the charge as a function of its position?
(c) What is the velocity of the charge when it hits the
opposite electrode?
2. A sheet of free surface charge at x = 0 has charge dis-
tribution
of = oO cos ay

f = oo cos ay

I x

X
 302 Electric Field Boundary Value Problems

(a) What are the potential and electric field distributions?

(b) What is the equation of the field lines?
3. Two sheets of opposite polarity with their potential dis-
tributions constrained are a distance d apart.
Vo cos ay - Vo cos ay

-* X

(a) What are the potential and electric field distributions

everywhere?
(b) What are the surface charge distributions on each
sheet?
4. A conducting rectangular box of width d and length I is of'
infinite extent in the z direction. The potential along the x = 0
edge is VI while all other surfaces are grounded (V2 = Vs3
V4= 0).

V2 I

(a) What are the potential and electric field distributions?

(b) The potential at y = 0 is now raised to Vs while the
surface at x = 0 remains at potential V 1. The other two sur-
faces remain at zero potential (Vs = V4 = 0). What are the
potential and electric field distributions? (Hint: Use super-
position.)
(c) What is the potential distribution if each side is respec-
tively at nonzero potentials V1, V2, Vs, and V4?

. I
 Problems 303

5. A sheet with potential distribution

V = Vo sin ax cos bz
is placed parallel and between two parallel grounded
conductors a distance d apart. It is a distance s above the
lower plane.

~I~I~

V = Vo sin ax cos bz

€isss-
~0111~-~··n~

(a) What are the potential and electric field distributions?

(Hint: You can write the potential distribution by inspection
using a spatially shifted hyperbolic function sinh c(y -d).)
(b) What is the surface charge distribution on each plane at
y=O,y=s,and y=d?
6. A uniformly distributed surface charge o-0 of width d and
of infinite extent in the z direction is placed at x = 0 perpen-
dicular to two parallel grounded planes of spacing d.

(a) What are the potential and electric field distributions?

(Hint: Write o0 as a Fourier series.)
(b) What is the induced surface charge distribution on each
plane?
(c) What is the total induced charge per unit length on
each plane? Hint:

n= n1 8
n odd
304 Electric Field Boundary Value Problems

7. A slab of volume charge of thickness d with volume charge

density p = p0 sin ax is placed upon a conducting ground
plane.

(a) Find a particular solution to Poisson's equation. Are the

boundary conditions satisfied?
(b) If the solution to (a) does not satisfy all the boundary
conditions, add a Laplacian solution which does.
(c) What is the electric field distribution everywhere and
the surface charge distribution on the ground plane?
(d) What is the force per unit length on the volume charge
and on the ground plane for a section of width 2 r/a? Are
these forces equal?
(e) Repeat (a)-(c), if rather than free charge, the slab is a
permanently polarized medium with polarization
P= Po sin axi,

8. Consider the Cartesian coordinates (x, y) and define the

complex quantity
z = x +jy, =
where z is not to be confused with the Cartesian coordinate.
Any function of z also has real and imaginary parts
w(z) = u(x, y)+jv(x, y)
(a) Find u and v for the following functions:
(i) z
(ii) sin z
(iii) cos z
(iv) e'
(v) Inz
(b) Realizing that the partial derivatives of w are
aw dw az dw au .Ov
ax dz ax dz ax+ ax
aw dw az .dw au av
ay dz ay dz -y ay
show that u and v must be related as
au av au av
ax Oy' Oy ax
 Problems 305

These relations are known as the Cauchy-Riemann equations

and u and v are called conjugate functions.
(c) Show that both u and v obey Laplace's equation.
(d) Show that lines of constant u and v are perpendicular
to each other in the xy plane. (Hint: Are Vu and Vv perpen-
dicular vectors?)
Section 4.3
9. A half cylindrical shell of length I having inner radius a
and outer radius b is composed of two different lossy dielec-
tric materials (e 1,o-1) for 0 < 4 <a and (e2, o02) for a < 6<,r.
A step voltage Vo is applied at t = 0. Neglect variations with z.

Depth I

+
Vo

(a) What are the potential and electric field distributions

within the shell at times t = 0, t = oo, and during the transient
interval? (Hint: Assume potentials of the form V(O)= A(t)o
+B(t) and neglect effects of the region outside the half
cylindrical shell.)
(b) What is the time dependence of the surface charge at

(c) What is the resistance and capacitance?

10. The potential on an infinitely long cylinder is constrained
to be
V(r = a) = Vo sin n6

-Vo/2

--Vo/2

(a) Find the potential and electric field everywhere.

(b) The potential is now changed so that it is constant on
306 Electric Field Boundary Value Problems

each half of the cylinder:

{Vo/2, O<d4 <r
V(r = a. 6) =
-Vo/2, vr<0<27r
Write this square wave of potential in a Fourier series.
(c) Use the results of (a) and (b) to find the potential and
electric field due to this square wave of potential.
11. A cylindrical dielectric shell of inner radius a and outer
radius b is placed in frte space within a uniform electric field
Eoi.. What are the potential and electric field distributions
everywhere?

t-"

t i= =Ea [i cos 0 - io sin 01

12. A permanently polarized cylinder P2ix of radius a is

placed within a polarized medium Pli, of infinite extent. A
uniform electric field Eoi. is applied at infinity. There is no
free charge on the cylinder. What are the potential and elec-
tric field distributions?

P li
r ,
p1'
 Problems 307

13. One type of electrostatic precipitator has a perfectly

conducting cylinder of radius a placed within a uniform
electric field Eoix. A uniform flux of positive ions with charge
q0 and number density no are injected at infinity and travel
along the field lines with mobility g. Those field lines that
approach the cylinder with E, < 0 deposit ions, which redis-
tribute themselves uniformly on the surface of the cylinder.
The self-field due to the injected charge is negligible
compared to E 0 .

>-- y

t E ix
Uniform flux of ions with mobility
M1,number density n o , and charge qo

(a) If the uniformly distributed charge per unit length on

the cylinder is A(t), what is the field distribution? Where is
the electric field zero? This point is called a critical point
because ions flowing past one side of this point miss the
cylinder while those on the other side are collected. What
equation do the field lines obey? (Hint: To the field solution
of Section 4-3-2a, add the field due to a line charge A.)
(b) Over what range of angle 0, 0, < 0 <217r - -,,is there
a window (shaded region in figure) for charge collection as a
function of A(t)? (Hint: Er < 0 for charge collection.)
(c) What is the maximum amount of charge per unit
length that can be collected on the cylinder?
(d) What is the cylinder charging current per unit length?
(Hint: dI = -qonoEra doS)
(e) Over what range of y=y* at r=co, 0,= r do the
injected ions impact on the cylinder as a function of A(t)?
What is this charging current per unit length? Compare to
(d).
14. The cylinder of Section 4-3,2 placed within a lossy
medium is allowed to reach the steady state.
(a) At t = 0 the imposed electric field at infinity is suddenly
308 Electric Field Boundary Value Problems

set to zero. What is the time dependence of the surface charge

distribution at r= a?
(b) Find the surface charge distribution if the field at
infinity is a sinusoidal function of time Eo cos wt.
15. A perfectly conducting cylindrical can of radius c open at
one end has its inside surface coated with a resistive layer.
The bottom at z = 0 and a perfectly conducting center post of
radius a are at zero potential, while a constant potential Vo is
imposed at the top of the can.

_V 0 +

rA-IIKIC
(Iroo
I-

b ;
e o ""
0l Iiiii~i:i~~iii

0-l
0-

0-.oo

(a) What are the potential and electric field distributions

within the structure (a<r<c,0< < 1)? (Hint: Try the zero
separation constant solutions n = 0, k = 0.)
(b) What is the surface charge distribution and the total
charge at r = a, r = b, and z = 0?
(c) What is the equation of the field lines in the free space
region?
16. An Ohmic conducting cylinder of radius a is surrounded
by a grounded perfectly conducting cylindrical can of radius b
open at one end. A voltage Vo is applied at the top of the
resistive cylinder. Neglect variations with o.
(a) What are the potential and electric field distributions
within the structure, 0<z< , 0<r<b? (Hint: Try the
zero separation constant solutions n = 0, k = 0 in each region.)
(b) What is the surface charge distribution and total charge
on the interface at r= a?
(c) What is the equation or the field lines in the free space
region?
 Problems 309

Vo
z

-1

-0
-o

Section 4.4
17. A perfectly conducting hemisphere of radius R is placed
upon a ground plane of infinite extent. A uniform field Eoi, is
applied at infinity.

fEo i

(a) How much more charge is on the hemisphere than

would be on the plane over the area occupied by the hemi-
sphere.
(b) If the hemisphere has mass density p. and is in a
gravity field -gi,, how large must E 0 be to lift the hemi-
sphere? Hint:

sin 0 cos'"0 dO = C_ 0m+l

m+1
18. A sphere of radius R, permittivity e2, and Ohmic
conductivity ao is placed within a medium of permittivity e1
and conductivity or. A uniform electric field Eoi, is suddenly
turned on at t = 0.
(a) What are the necessary boundary and initial condi-
tions?
310 Electric Field Boundary Value Problems

Eoiz
S

(b) What are the potential and electric field distributions as

a function of time?
(c) What is the surface charge at r = R?
(d) Repeat (b) and (c) if the applied field varies sinusoidally
with time as Eo cos wt and has been on a long time.
19. The surface charge distribution on a dielectric sphere
with permittivity e2 and radius R is
3 2
of = o-o( Cos 0- 1)
The surrounding medium has permittivity eI. What are the
potential and electric field distributions? (Hint: Try the n =
2 solutions.)
20. A permanently polarized sphere P 2iz of radius R is
placed within a polarized medium Pliz. A uniform electric
field Eoi0 is applied at infinity. There is no free charge at
r = R. What are the potential and electric field distributions?

S1E
i,
0

21. A point dipole p=pi, is placed at the center of a dielec-

tric sphere that is surrounded by a different dielectric
medium. There is no free surface charge on the interface.

~ 111__
 Problems 311

What are the potential and electric field distributions? Hint:

p cos 0
STi
V - 03 - ___

(
, ,)
-0
m111 -
47TE 22r
4r

Section 4.5
22. The conducting box with sides of length d in Section
4-5-2 is filled with a uniform distribution of volume charge
with density
- 72e°
Po = [coul-m]- 3

What are the potentials at the four interior points when the
outside of the box is grounded?
23. Repeat the relaxation procedure of Section 4-5-2 if the
boundary potentials are:

V2 = -2 V2 = -2

V1 = 1
V=1 V3 =3 V3 -3

V4 = - 4 v=4

(a) (b)

(a) VI= 1, V 2 = -2, V3 = 3, V 4 = -4

(b) V 1= 1, V 2 = -2, Vs= -3, V4 = 4
(c) Compare to four decimal places with the exact solution.
1 _ ·__··