Solving Potential of a Charge Outside a Sphere with Green Functions

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The discussion centers on deriving the potential of a charge outside a sphere using Green functions and the image method. The proposed solution involves a Green's function that satisfies a Dirichlet boundary condition, leading to a derived expression for L(r, r'). However, the author recognizes that their solution does not align with the standard image charge method, which typically yields a different Green's function. The conversation highlights the importance of correctly applying boundary conditions and suggests that the image-charge method or multipole expansion are the preferred approaches for this problem. Clarification on the errors in the proposed solution and guidance toward the correct application of Green functions is sought.
Mounice
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I was wondering if there is a way to deduce the solution of the potential of a charge outside a sphere given by the image method, though Green functions. Because of a Dirichlet condition (GD(R,r')=0), I know that a solution can be written as GD=Go+L, where ∇2L=0. But in order to approach this problem I proposed the Green solution Go, as the one associated to the poisson solution. So, by applying the Dirichlet condition I can get the boundary condition for the problem in L(r,r').
That's how I get
$$G_D(\vec{R},\vec{r})=\dfrac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_o}\left [\dfrac{1}{|\vec{R}-\vec{r'}|}+L(\vec{R},\vec{r})\right]=0$$
So,
$$L(\vec{R},\vec{r})=-\dfrac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_o}\dfrac{1}{|\vec{R}-\vec{r'}|}$$
But, because that expression is constant with respect to the variable r, I denoted it as Vo.
So I know that the solution for ∇2L=0 for the outside of a sphere with constant voltage Vo, is given by
$$L(\vec{r},\vec{r'})=\dfrac{V_oR}{r}=-\dfrac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_o}\dfrac{R}{r|\vec{R}-\vec{r'}|}$$
Such that,
$$G_D(\vec{r},\vec{r})=\dfrac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_o}\left [\dfrac{1}{|\vec{r}-\vec{r'}|}-\dfrac{R}{r|\vec{R}-\vec{r'}|}\right]$$
and it satisfies the boundary condition,
$$G_D(\vec{R},\vec{r})=\dfrac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_o}\left [\dfrac{1}{|\vec{R}-\vec{r'}|}-\dfrac{R}{R|\vec{R}-\vec{r'}|}\right]=0$$
But I know that this solution is incorrect because the typical solution to this problem is a image charge, such that
$$G_D(\vec{r},\vec{r})=\dfrac{1}{4\pi \epsilon_o}\left [\dfrac{1}{|\vec{r}-\vec{r'}|}-\dfrac{R}{r'|\vec{r}-\dfrac{R^2}{r'^2}\vec{r'}|}\right]$$
Can someone tell me what's the error in the solution that I am proposing or how am I supposed to arrive to the correct solution by Green functions?
 
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I cannot understand your arguments, but usually you derive the Green's function of the Laplace operator for the Dirichlet problem of the sphere using the image-charge method, because it's the easiest way to do so. Another way is to use the multipole expansion, which finally of course leads to the same result.
 
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