MP350 Classical Mechanics Solutions Problem set 3

1. (a) The canonical momentum is p= (b) L = mq cos2 q q = q = p . m cos2 q (1.1)

i. The hamiltonian is H = pq L = mq cos2 q q m 2 q cos2 q + k sin(q t) 2

1 2 cos2 q + k sin(q t) . = mq 2 ii. Using (1.1), (1.2) we nd H=

(1.2)

2 m p cos2 q + k sin(q t) 2 2 m cos q p2 = + k sin(q t) . 2m cos2 q

(1.3)

(c) H is not conserved since it (and L) depends explicitly on time. 2. (a) The canonical momenta are p = L , = mR2 p = L sin2 . = mR2 (2.1)

Since the Lagrangian does not depend explicitly on , we have p = ie p is conserved. (b) i. The hamiltonian is given by + p L H = p 2 sin2 1 mR2 2 + mR2 2 1 mR2 2 sin2 + 1 kR2 sin2 = mR2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 + mR2 2 sin2 + kR2 sin2 . = mR2 2 2 2 (2.3) Alternatively, one may note that there are no time-dependent coordinate transformations and no velocity-dependent potential energy here, so one may just write down H = T + V . d L L = 0, = dt (2.2)

ii. From (2.1) we nd = p , mR2 Substituting this into (2.3) we get p2 p2 1 H= + kR2 sin2 . + 2 2 2 2mR 2mR sin 2 (2.5) = mR2 p . sin2 (2.4)

(c) There is no explicit time-dependence in the lagrangian (or hamiltonian) in this case, so the hamiltonian is conserved. 3. (a) The EulerLagrange equation is d d L et + xe t = mxe t = m x dt x dt L = = m 2 xet x = x + x + 2x = 0 . If > 0, this is the equation for a damped harmonic oscillator. (b) The canonical momentum is px = The hamiltonian is 1 1 2 x 2 + 2 x2 )et 2 + 2 x2 et = m x H = px x L = m 2x 2 2 p2 m 2 2 t = x et + xe . 2m 2 (3.4) (3.5) L = mxe t x (3.3)

(3.1) (3.2)

The hamiltonian is not conserved, since it (and the lagrangian) depends explicitly on time. Physically, the damping of the oscillator dissipates energy. (c) With q = xet/2 we have x = qet/2 and x q = xe t/2 + x et/2 = x = qe t/2 = qe t/2 qet/2 (3.6) 2 2 2 2 x 2 = q 2 qq + et (3.7) 4 1 1 (3.8) 2 2 x2 )et = m q 2 qq ( 2 2 /4)q 2 L = m(x 2 2 (d) The canonical momentum is p= L m = mq q. q 2 (3.9)

We can use this to eliminate q : q = m 1 q . p+ m 2 (3.10)

The hamiltonian is, as a function of p and q , H = pq L m 1 m 1 p q m 2 p+ q p+ = m 2 2 m 2 p2 pq m = + 2q2 . 2m 2 2

m 2 2 p+ q q 2 q m 2 4 (3.11)

If we instead write H in terms of q and q we get H = pq L = mq 2 m 1 2 m 1 qq mq + qq + m( 2 2 /4)q 2 2 2 2 2

1 2 1 + m( 2 2 /4)q 2 . = mq 2 2

(3.12)

There is no explicit time dependence in this hamiltonian, so H is conserved. However, H is not the total energy, since the potential energy contains a 1 velocity-dependent term 2 m qq . Alternatively, we may note that the coordinate q is introduced in a time-dependent way, ie there is a time-dependent transformation equation between the original coordinate x and the new coordinate q . From this alone, we cannot conclude anything about whether the total energy is conserved. It is arguable that the usual arguments regarding the relation between L, H and energy do not hold in this case, since L is not really the dierence between kinetic and potential energy of a physical system; it is rather constructed in such a way as to obtain the correct equations of motion for a system with frictional (damping) forces. The correct way to decide whether total energy is conserved is then to look at the physical system (damped oscillator) and recall that the damping forces dissipate energy, and hence total energy is not conserved.