Question on Coulomb and Lorenz Gauge

In summary: So, basically, at the origin the derivative is undefined, but it doesn't matter because the integral is always zero.
  • #1
yungman
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This is Problem 10.6 in page 422 of "Introduction to Electrodynamics" Edition 2 by David Griffiths. The question is:

Which of the potentials in the following is in the Coulomb gauge? Which is in Lorenz Gauge?( Notice that these gauges are not mutually exclusive.)

This is what the solution gave:
[tex]V)(\vec r, t)=0,\; and\; \vec A(\vec r,t)=-\hat r \frac{qt}{4\pi\epsilon_0r^2}[/tex]
[tex]\nabla\cdot \vec A=-\frac{qt}{4\pi\epsilon_0)} \nabla\left(\frac{\vec r}{r^2}\right)=-\frac{qt}{\epsilon_0)}\delta^3(\vec r)\Rightarrow\; \nabla\cdot\vec A\neq 0[/tex]
I disagree:
[tex]\nabla\cdot\vec A=\frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial (r^2A_r)}{\partial r}+\frac{1}{r\sin\theta}\frac{\partial (A_{\theta}\sin\theta)}{\partial \theta}+\frac{1}{r\sin\theta}\frac{\partial A_{\phi}}{\partial \phi}[/tex]
[tex]\Rightarrow\;\nabla\cdot\vec A=-\frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial \left(r^2\frac{qt}{4\pi\epsilon_0 r^2}\right)}{\partial r}= -\frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial \left(\frac{qt}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\right)}{\partial r}=0[/tex]

Please help
Thanks
 
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  • #2
yungman said:
[tex]\Rightarrow\;\nabla\cdot\vec A=-\frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial \left(r^2\frac{qt}{4\pi\epsilon_0 r^2}\right)}{\partial r}= -\frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial \left(\frac{qt}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\right)}{\partial r}=0[/tex]

This result holds for all points except at the origin. For ##r = 0## the expression ##-\frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial \left(\frac{qt}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\right)}{\partial r}=0## is not well defined. See section 1.5.1 on page 45 and equation (1.99) on page 50 of Griffiths.
 
  • #3
TSny said:
This result holds for all points except at the origin. For ##r = 0## the expression ##-\frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial \left(\frac{qt}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\right)}{\partial r}=0## is not well defined. See section 1.5.1 on page 45 and equation (1.99) on page 50 of Griffiths.

thanks

So you mean it's not the differentiation part, it's the ##\frac {1}{r^2}## part that goes to infinity at r+0. But if the differentiation part is zero, everything time zero is zero!
 
  • #4
yungman said:
So you mean it's not the differentiation part, it's the ##\frac {1}{r^2}## part that goes to infinity at r+0. But if the differentiation part is zero, everything time zero is zero!

Any finite quantity times zero is zero. But 1/r2 is not a finite quantity at the origin. So, you sort of end up with ∞##\cdot##0 at the origin. What if I say the answer should be ∞ because "infinity times anything is infinity"?
 
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  • #5
TSny said:
Any finite quantity times zero is zero. But 1/r2 is not a finite quantity at the origin. So, you sort of end up with ∞##\cdot##0 at the origin. What if I say the answer should be ∞ because "infinity times anything is infinity"?

Thanks, I since read page 46 to 50. I forgot all about this.
 

1. What is the Coulomb gauge?

The Coulomb gauge is a specific choice of gauge in electromagnetism, which is a mathematical tool used to describe the behavior of electric and magnetic fields. In this gauge, the divergence of the vector potential is set to zero, simplifying the equations of motion for electric charges.

2. How does the Coulomb gauge differ from the Lorenz gauge?

The main difference between the Coulomb gauge and the Lorenz gauge is that in the Lorenz gauge, both the divergence and the curl of the vector potential are set to zero. This allows for the wave-like behavior of electromagnetic fields to be described more accurately.

3. Why are the Coulomb and Lorenz gauges important in electromagnetism?

The choice of gauge is important in electromagnetism because it affects the mathematical equations used to describe the behavior of electric and magnetic fields. The Coulomb and Lorenz gauges are two commonly used gauges that have different advantages and applications.

4. What is the physical interpretation of the Coulomb gauge?

The Coulomb gauge has a physical interpretation as representing a static electric field, where the vector potential is determined solely by the distribution of electric charges. This makes it useful for studying phenomena such as electrostatics and steady currents.

5. How do the Coulomb and Lorenz gauges relate to each other?

The Lorenz gauge can be thought of as a generalization of the Coulomb gauge, as it includes the additional condition of setting the curl of the vector potential to zero. In certain situations, the two gauges can be transformed into each other, but they are not equivalent and have different applications in electromagnetism.

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