How Do You Calculate the Electric Potential of a Polarized Half-Cylinder?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the calculation of the electric potential for a cylinder with a polarization density and bound charge densities on its semi-circular surfaces. The distance between an arbitrary point on the surface and an arbitrary point in space is determined using spherical coordinates, and the integral is transformed to spherical coordinates for easier calculation. However, the transformation process is unclear and assistance is needed.
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ShayanJ
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Consider a cylinder(height ##l##, radii a) cut in half by a plane parallel to its axis(z-axis). Now imagine it has a polarization density ## \vec P=P_0 \hat z## and so its two semi-circular surfaces have bound charge densities ## \sigma_u=-\sigma_d=P_0 ##. I want to calculate the electric potential of these charge densities at an arbitrary point of space.
The charge elements is clearly (using cylindrical coordinates) ## dq=\sigma \rho d\varphi d\rho ##(with ## 0\leq \rho \leq a ## and ##0\leq \varphi \leq \pi ##).
Now I should find out the distance between an arbitrary point on the semi-circular surface of the cylinder and an arbitrary point in space(##(R,\phi,Z)##) which can be written as ##\sqrt{R^2+Z^2+\rho^2+(\frac l 2)^2-2\sqrt{(R^2+Z^2)(\rho^2+(\frac l 2)^2)} \cos\gamma} \ \ ## where ##\gamma## is the angle between the two position vectors. We can write(using spherical coordinates) ## \cos\gamma=\cos \theta \cos\vartheta +\sin\theta \sin\vartheta \cos(\varphi-\phi) ##. So I can put this into the distance formula and write the integral I should calculate. But the problem is, now I have an integral w.r.t. cylindrical coordinates that contains some spherical coordinates. So I should either transform the integral to spherical coordinates or write the spherical coordinates in terms of cylindrical coordinates. I figured that the second option turns the integral into an intractable mess so I want to pursue the first option(Then I can use Legendre polynomials and spherical harmonics to do the integral). I calculated the Jacobian of the transformation from cylindrical to spherical coordinates(its ## \frac 1 r ## where ##r=\sqrt{\rho^2+(\frac l 2)^2}## is the radial component of the spherical coordinates of the point on the cylinder ). But I don't know how should I do the transformation. I'm confused here. Can anyone help?
Thanks
 
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If I wanted to know potentials of such charge distributions I would use software package like Ansoft Maxwell.
 

FAQ: How Do You Calculate the Electric Potential of a Polarized Half-Cylinder?

1. What is a polarized half-cylinder?

A polarized half-cylinder is a type of optical device that consists of a cylinder with one half of it coated with a polarizing material. This polarizing material allows only light waves that vibrate in a particular direction to pass through, while blocking all other directions of vibration. This results in a filtered and polarized output of light.

2. How does a polarized half-cylinder work?

A polarized half-cylinder works by utilizing the properties of polarized light. When unpolarized light enters the cylinder, it encounters the polarizing material on one half of the cylinder. This material only allows light waves that are aligned with its polarization axis to pass through, while blocking all other waves. This results in a polarized output of light.

3. What are the applications of a polarized half-cylinder?

Polarized half-cylinders have many applications in optics and science. They are commonly used in polarizing microscopes to study the birefringence of materials, in polarimeters to measure the rotation of polarized light, and in optical instruments to control the intensity and direction of light. They are also commonly used in sunglasses to reduce glare and improve visibility.

4. Can polarized half-cylinders be used with other optical components?

Yes, polarized half-cylinders can be used with other optical components such as lenses, mirrors, and filters. They can be combined with these components to create more complex optical systems for various applications.

5. Are there different types of polarized half-cylinders?

Yes, there are different types of polarized half-cylinders that vary in their polarizing materials, size, and shape. Some common types include linear polarizers, circular polarizers, and wire grid polarizers. The choice of polarized half-cylinder depends on the specific application and the desired properties of the polarized output.

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