Gravitational potential of an ellipsoid

In summary, there is a formula for the potential ##\varphi## outside of a homogenous ellipsoid of density ##\mu## in Landau given by ##\varphi = -\pi \mu abck \int_{\xi}^{\infty} \left(1- \dfrac{x^2}{a^2 + s} + \dfrac{y^2}{b^2 + s} + \dfrac{z^2}{c^2+s} \right) \frac{ds}{R_s} \ \ \ (1)## where ##R_s = \sqrt{(a^2+s)(b^2+s)(c^2+s)}## and ##\xi
  • #1
ergospherical
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There is a formula for the potential ##\varphi## outside of a homogenous ellipsoid of density ##\mu## in Landau\begin{align*}
\varphi = -\pi \mu abck \int_{\xi}^{\infty} \left(1- \dfrac{x^2}{a^2 + s} + \dfrac{y^2}{b^2 + s} + \dfrac{z^2}{c^2+s} \right) \frac{ds}{R_s} \ \ \ (1)
\end{align*}where ##R_s = \sqrt{(a^2+s)(b^2+s)(c^2+s)}## and ##\xi## satisfies ## \dfrac{x^2}{a^2 + \xi} + \dfrac{y^2}{b^2 + \xi} + \dfrac{z^2}{c^2+\xi} = 1##. How is this formula obtained?

So far I can only find an expression in the limit of ##r \gg a,b,c##. The mass quadrupole tensor is ##Q_{\alpha \beta} = \displaystyle{\int_{\mathcal{V}}} \mu(3x_{\alpha} x_{\beta} - r^2 \delta_{\alpha \beta}) dV## therefore the potential at a point ##\mathbf{r}## has a multipole expansion ##\varphi(\mathbf{r}) = - \dfrac{km}{r} + \dfrac{1}{6} Q_{\alpha \beta} \partial^2_{\alpha \beta} \dfrac{1}{r} + \mathrm{etc}##. Due to the axial symmetry, the matrix ##Q## can be brought to diagonal form by aligning the coordinate system with the principal axes and the non-zero components are\begin{align*}
Q_{xx} &= \mu \int_{\mathcal{V}} d^3 x (2x^2 - y^2 - z^2)\\
&= \mu abc \int_0^{2\pi} d\phi \int_0^{\pi} d\theta \int_0^1 dr\, r^4 ([2a^2 \cos^2{\phi} - b^2 \sin^2{\phi}]\sin^3{\theta} - c^2 \cos^2{\theta} \sin{\theta} ) \\
&= \dfrac{\mu abc}{5} \int_0^{2\pi} d\phi \int_0^{\pi} d\theta \, ([2a^2 \cos^2{\phi} - b^2 \sin^2{\phi}]\sin^3{\theta} - c^2 \cos^2{\theta} \sin{\theta} ) \\
&= \dfrac{2\mu abc}{15} \int_0^{2\pi} d\phi \, (4a^2 \cos^2{\phi} - 2b^2 \sin^2{\phi} - c^2 ) \\
&= \dfrac{4\pi \mu abc}{15} (2a^2 - b^2 - c^2 )
\end{align*}where the "spherical-like" coordinate transformations ##x = ar\sin{\theta} \cos{\phi}##, etc. map the ellipsoid into the unit sphere. Similarly ##Q_{yy} = \dfrac{4\pi \mu abc}{15} (2b^2 - a^2 - c^2 )## and ##Q_{zz} = \dfrac{4\pi \mu abc}{15} (2c^2 - a^2 - b^2 )##. Now\begin{align*}
\partial_{\beta} \dfrac{1}{r} &= - \dfrac{1}{r^2} \cdot \dfrac{1}{2r} \partial_{\beta} r^2 = -\dfrac{1}{2r^3} \partial_{\beta} (x_{\gamma} x_{\gamma}) = -\dfrac{x_{\beta}}{r^3} \\ \\
\implies \partial^2_{\alpha \beta} \dfrac{1}{r} &= -\partial_{\alpha} \dfrac{x_{\beta}}{r^3} = -\frac{1}{r^3} \delta_{\alpha \beta} + \frac{3x_{\alpha} x_{\beta}}{r^5} = \frac{3x_{\alpha} x_{\beta} - r^2 \delta_{\alpha \beta}}{r^5}
\end{align*}therefore ##\partial^2_{xx} \dfrac{1}{r} = \dfrac{2x^2 - y^2 -z^2}{r^5}## and etc. therefore \begin{align*}
\varphi(\mathbf{r}) &= -\dfrac{km}{r} + \dfrac{2\pi \mu abc}{45 r^5} \left\{ (2a^2 - b^2 - c^2 )(2x^2 - y^2 -z^2) + \mathrm{y \ \ first} + \mathrm{z \ \ first} \right\} \\
&= -\dfrac{km}{r} + \dfrac{2\pi \mu abc}{45 r^5} \left\{ 6(a^2 x^2 + y^2b^2 + c^2 z^2) -3((b^2+c^2)x^2 + (a^2+c^2)y^2 + (a^2+b^2)z^2) \right\}
\end{align*}I haven't checked yet if this is consistent with ##(1)## as ##r## gets very big, but I'm more interested to know how Landau derived the exact expression?
 
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  • #3
Golly, that was fast! Looks like exactly it, thanks.
 
  • #4
Is it possible that it should be (minus signs wrong in eq 1 from ergospherical):

## \varphi = -\pi \mu abc \int_{\xi}^{\infty} \left(1- \dfrac{x^2}{a^2 + s} - \dfrac{y^2}{b^2 + s} - \dfrac{z^2}{c^2+s} \right) \frac{ds}{R_s} ##

The same error is present in equation (72) the document from Stanford above, but not in equation (3).
 

FAQ: Gravitational potential of an ellipsoid

What is the definition of gravitational potential?

The gravitational potential of a point in space is the amount of work required to move a unit mass from an infinite distance to that point, under the influence of gravity.

How is the gravitational potential of an ellipsoid calculated?

The gravitational potential of an ellipsoid is calculated using the formula: V = G * M * (1/a - 1/b), where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the ellipsoid, and a and b are the semi-major and semi-minor axes, respectively.

What factors affect the gravitational potential of an ellipsoid?

The gravitational potential of an ellipsoid is affected by its mass, shape, and distance from other massive objects. The greater the mass and the closer the ellipsoid is to other massive objects, the stronger its gravitational potential will be.

How does the gravitational potential of an ellipsoid compare to that of a sphere?

The gravitational potential of an ellipsoid is generally lower than that of a sphere with the same mass, due to the fact that the mass is spread out over a larger volume. However, if the ellipsoid is elongated in the direction of its axis, its gravitational potential may be higher than that of a sphere with the same mass.

What practical applications does the concept of gravitational potential of an ellipsoid have?

The gravitational potential of an ellipsoid is important in understanding the motion of celestial bodies, such as planets and moons, as well as in geodesy and geophysics. It is also used in determining the shape and mass distribution of the Earth and other planets.

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