University of New South Wales

SCHOOL OF PHYSICS

PHYS 2113 Classical Mechanics

& Special Relativity
Assignment 2 Hamiltonian & Special
Relativity
Prepared for:
Dr. Yvonne Wong

Prepared by:
Anthony Lotfi

Student Number:
z5023112

Semester 1, 2016
DUE DATE: 03 JUN 16

Table of Contents
Question 1 .......................................................................................3
a. ..................................................................................................................... 3
b. ..................................................................................................................... 3
c....................................................................................................................... 5
d. ..................................................................................................................... 5
e. ..................................................................................................................... 6
f. ...................................................................................................................... 7
i. ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7
ii. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7
iii. ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Question 2 .......................................................................................8
a. ..................................................................................................................... 8
b. ................................................................................................................... 10
c..................................................................................................................... 12

Question 3 ..................................................................................... 13
a. ................................................................................................................... 13
i. ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13
ii. ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14
iii. .................................................................................................................................................................... 15

b. ................................................................................................................... 17

Question 1
A pendulum system consists of a massless rod of length , and a bob of mass at the bottom
end which is free to move in a vertical plane. The top end of the rod is forced to move
vertically, so that its displacement at any time is given by () = (), where is some
known function. If is the angle the rod makes with the downward vertical direction, the
position of the bob in Cartesian coordinates is = , and = .

a.
Find the Lagrangian of this system in terms of .
(, ) = ( , )
( , ) = ( , + )
2 = 2 2 2 + 2 2 + 2 2 2
= +
=
1
= 2
2
1
2 2
2
= ( + 2 ) ( )
2
=

( + ) + ( + )

b.
Find the corresponding canonical momentum/momenta and the Hamiltonian.

1
= (2 2 2 )
2
=

=
=

1
= ( 2 ) [ ( 2 2 + 2 2 ) + ( + )]
2
1
1
= 2 2 2 2 2 +
2
2
1 2 2 1
= 2
2
2

1
( 2 2 2 2 2 )
2

= (1 ; 1 ; )
= 2
2 = +
+
=
2

= 2 +

2 2 2
2 =
+
+
2 4
3
2

1
2
2 2 2
1
= 2 ( 2 4 +
+
) 2
3
2
2

2
2
2
2

1
=
+
+
2
2 2

2
2
2
2
(1 2 )
=
+

2 2

2
=

c.
Is the Hamiltonian for this system conserved? Is it the total energy?

= (

)+

= ( + ) +
= 0+

=1

=
=

=
+

1
1
= (2) + (2)

2
2

= = ( + )

,
+ 0

1
+ = ( 2 2 + 2 2 ) + ( )
2
1
+ = ( 2 2 + 2 2 2 2 )
2
1
+ = ( 2 2 2 2 2 2 + 22 )
2
1
+ = + 2
2
+=

+

d.
Derive Hamiltons equations for this system.

=
+

Hamilton s Equations

=
= (

&

2
(2 ) + )


= (
+ + )

2
sin
+
2 2

=
+

e.

()
Show that the equation of motion for ()) can be written as = . What is
the physical meaning of the terms on the right hand side of this equation?

sin
+
2

()

sin
=
= ( 2+
)

1
= 2 + ( sin + cos )

= &
=

1
1

sin
2 + ) + ( sin + cos (
(
+

+
))
2

2
cos 2 sin cos sin + sin + 3 cos + 2 sin cos
3

= sin + sin

( )
=

,
: . .
,
.

f.
Taking = , = , and = , and assuming the initial conditions = and = ,
plot the phase space diagram of this diagram for
i.

ii.
=
iii.
=

Question 2
a.
A thin disc that is round and has radius in its own rest frame moves at a constant
speed in frame in a direction parallel to its plane. How does the area of the disc
transform from to ?

+ =
= 2 2
= 2 2
=0
=0

( )=(

0
0

0
0

0
0
1
0

0
)( )

1
=

0
( )=(

0
0
1
0
0
0

2 2

2 2
( )=

2 2

(
0
)

( )=(
)

0
0
2 2
0
)
0
2 2
1 (
)
0

=
=
=
= 0

& =

1
2

1 2

2 2

2 2

2 2

= |

2 2

= 2 2 2

= 4 2 2
0

() = 2 ()

()
= sin
= cos
= 0, = 0

= , =
2

= 4 2 ( sin )2 cos
0

= 4 2 cos2 cos
0

= 4 2 cos2
0

= 4 2

21

(1 + cos 2)

2
1
2
= 2 ( + sin 2)|
2
0

1
= 2 2 [(( ) + sin 2 ( )) ((0) + sin 2(0))]
2
2
2
2

= 2 2
2
= 2

b.
Now consider a closed container that is spherical and radius in its own rest frame .
If it moves at a constant speed in frame , how does the volume transform?

+ + =
= 2 2 2
= 2 2 2
= 2 2 2
=0

( )=(

0
0

0
0

0
0
1
0

0
)( )

1
=

0
0
2
2 2
0
)
2 2 2
0
1
2
2
2
( )
2 2 2

( )=(

0
0

( )=

0
0

0
0
1
0

2 2 2
2 2 2

( 2 2 2 )

( )=(
)

=
=
=
=

& =

1
2

1 2

2 2 2

2 2 2

= 2 2 2
= cos
= sin
= sin
= cos

=
2

0 0
2

= |

0 0
2

= 2
0 0
2

= 2 2 2
0

0
2

= 2 2 2
0 0
2

3
2 )2

(
3
2 2

= 2
0

= 2
0
2

0
3
( 2 2 )2

3
( 2

= 2 (
0
2

0
3
2 )2

( 2 )2
= 2 (
)
3
0
2

3
= 2 (
)
3

( 2 0)2

)
3

2 3
=

3
0

2 3
=
|2
0
3
3
4
=

.
c.
Inside the container are identical particles. How is the particle number density
observed in related to the density in ?

=

=

.

Question 3
a.
Particle decays at rest in to particles and , i.e. + .
i.
Find the energy in terms of the rest masses of the three particles.
= ( , 0)

= ( ,
)

= ( ,
)

= ( , , )

= +
=
=

= ( ) ( )
= + 2

2 2 = 2 2 2 2 2 (
+ 0
)

2 2 = 2 2 2 2 + 2
2 = 2 2 + 2 2 2 2
+
=

= ( ) ( )
= + 2

2 2 = 2 2 2 2 2 ( + 0
)

2 2 = 2 2 2 2 + 2
2 = 2 2 + 2 2 2 2
+
=

= +
+ 2 2 2 + 2 2 2
+

2
2
2 2 2
=

2
=
2

ii.
Find the magnitudes of the 3-momenta in terms of the rest masses of the three
particles.
= ( , 0)

= ( ,
)

= ( ,
)

= ( , , )

= +
=

=
, 0 =
+

=
=

= ( + ) ( + )
= + + 2

2 2 = 2 2 2 2 + 2 ( +

)

=
=

2||2
2

2
2 2
2 2
2 2
2|| = 2

= 1
2 2 = 2 2 2 2 2

2||2 = 2 2 2 2 2 2
2||2 = 2 2 2 2 2 2
2||2 = 4 2 2 2 2 2

2
2

2 4
( 2 + 2 2 )( 2 + 2 2 )
42 2

2
2
( 4 + 2 2 2 2 + 2 2 + 2 )
22

2
( 4 2 2 4 + 2 2 )
22

42 ||2
= 4 + 4 + 4 2(2 2 + 2 2 + 2 2 )
2

 2 + 2 2 2
=

2
2 =

4
( 2 + 2 2 )2
42

4
[ 4 + 4 + 4 + 2(2 2 2 2 2 2 )]
42
4
[ 4 + 4 + 4 2(2 2 + 2 2 + 2 2 )]
2 =
42
4
[ 4 + 4 + 4 2(2 2 + 2 2 + 2 2 22 2 )]
2 =
42
4
[ 4 + 4 + 4 2(2 2 + 2 2 + 2 2 ) + 42 2 ]
2 =
42
4
4
2
2
2
4
4
4
2
2
2 )]
[
(42 2 )
2 =
+

2(

42
42
4 42 ||2
2 =

+ 2 4
2
42
2 = ||2 2 + 2 4
||2 2 = 2 2 4
1
||2 = 2 (2 2 4 )

1
|| = 2 2 4

2 =

iii.
Find the speeds of the outgoing particles in terms of the rest masses of the
three particles.
=

|| =

||
2

1 2

2 2

2 =
2
1 2

2 (1 2 ) = 2 2

2
2 = 2 (2 + 2 )

1
2

1 2

=
|| =

2
2
2 + 2

||
2

2 + 2

|
| =

|
|

|
|
2

2 + 2

1
2 2 4

|
| =
2 2 4
2
2
+
2
1
2 2 4

|
| =
2
2 4

2 +
4
1
2 2 4

|
| =
2
2 4
2 4
+ 4

1
2
2 4
|
| =
2
4

1
2
2 4

|
| =

| =
|

,
| =
|

b.
Suppose now particle decays into three or more particles, + + + , and
again the decay happens at rest. Show that the outgoing particle can now take on a
range of energies, and express its minimum and maximum energies in terms of the
various particle masses.
= ( , 0)

= ( ,
)

= ( ,
)

= ( ,
)

= ( , , )

= + + +
= + +

( ) ( ) = ( + + ) ( + + )
+ 2 = + + + 2 ( + )

+

) + ]
2

2 2

= 2 (2 + 2 2 2 ) + 2 [( 2 +

) + ]

2 [2 + 2 (2 + 2 + )] + 2 [[( 2 +

) + ] +

]

=
2

2 2 2 2 2( +

) = 2 2 2 2 + + 2 [(