Green's First Identity involving Electric Potential

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on the application of Green's First Identity in the context of electric potential energy, specifically the expression for potential energy due to an electric field, represented as U_{el} = \frac{\epsilon_r\epsilon_0}{2} \iiint_V E^2 dV. The user seeks clarification on the squared gradient of a scalar potential function, leading to the reformulation of U_{el} using the Divergence Theorem and Poisson's equation. The final goal is to derive the expression U_{el} = \frac{1}{2} \oint_S \sigma \phi_0 dS + \frac{1}{2} \iiint_V \rho \Phi dV, utilizing the relationship between the scalar functions involved.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of vector calculus, particularly gradients and divergence.
  • Familiarity with Poisson's equation and its implications in electrostatics.
  • Knowledge of Green's Theorem and its applications in physics.
  • Basic concepts of electric potential and electric fields.
NEXT STEPS
  • Review the derivation of Green's First Identity in the context of scalar functions.
  • Study the relationship between electric potential and electric fields, focusing on the gradient operator.
  • Explore applications of the Divergence Theorem in electrostatics problems.
  • Investigate advanced vector calculus techniques for manipulating scalar and vector fields.
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Physicists, electrical engineers, and students studying electromagnetism or vector calculus who seek to deepen their understanding of electric potential energy and its mathematical foundations.

Parmenides
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I am attempting to work through a paper that involves some slightly unfamiliar vector calculus, as well as many omitted steps. It begins with the potential energy due to an electric field, familiarly expressed as:
<br /> U_{el} = \frac{\epsilon_r\epsilon_0}{2} \iiint_VE^2dV = \frac{\epsilon_r\epsilon_0}{2} \iiint_V(\nabla{\Phi})^2dV<br />
I am not quite sure as to the expression for a squared gradient, but I worked from using ##\nabla(\Phi\nabla\Phi) = (\nabla\Phi)^2 + \Phi\nabla^2\Phi## so that ##(\nabla\Phi)^2 = \nabla(\Phi\nabla\Phi) - \Phi\nabla^2\Phi##. Now, I can rewrite ##U_{el}## as:
<br /> U_{el} = \frac{\epsilon_r\epsilon_0}{2}\Big[\iiint_V\nabla(\Phi\nabla\Phi)dV - \iiint_V\Phi\nabla^2\Phi{dV}\Big]<br />
I recognize the presence of Poisson's equation in the second term, but as for the first? This is where I am stuck. I am supposed to use these expressions together with the Divergence theorem so that I can invoke Green's first identity:
<br /> \int_{\Omega}(\psi\nabla^2\phi + \nabla\phi\cdot\nabla\psi)dV = \oint_{\Omega}\psi(\nabla\phi\cdot{\bf{n}})dS<br />
For two scalar functions ##\psi## and ##\phi##. Ultimately, I need to arrive at the expression:
<br /> U_{el} = \frac{1}{2}\oint_S\sigma\phi_0dS + \frac{1}{2}\iiint_V\rho\Phi{dV}<br />
Using Poisson's equation ##\nabla^2\Phi = -\frac{\rho}{\epsilon_0}## and ##\sigma = -{\epsilon_r\epsilon_0}\frac{\partial{\Phi}}{\partial{n}}## and using the fact that ##\phi_0## is the potential at the surface.

But I do not have any dot products associated with what I did above and so I do not see how to proceed; the only way I see how this could work is understanding that there is really only one scalar function here instead of two, namely ##\Phi##, but I don't see this allowing me to make ##\nabla(\Phi\nabla\Phi) = \nabla\Phi\cdot\nabla\Phi##. Am I forgetting something simple?
 
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You...you are right there to solving it. You already showed that ##\nabla(\Phi\nabla\Phi)=(\nabla\Phi)^2+\Phi\nabla^2\Phi##

So I think the only point you're stuck on should be: ##(\nabla\Phi)^2=\nabla\Phi\cdot\nabla\Phi##

Can you do it from here?

Maybe a slightly bigger hint. I can rewrite Green's identity, if ##\phi=\psi## as such:

$$\int_\Omega (\psi\nabla^2\phi+\nabla\phi\cdot\nabla\psi)dV=\int_\Omega (\phi\nabla^2\phi+\nabla\phi\cdot\nabla\phi)dV=\int_\Omega \nabla(\phi\nabla\phi) dV=\oint_{\partial\Omega} \phi(\nabla\phi\cdot{\bf{n}})dS$$
 
Last edited:

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