Harmonic oscillator action-angle variables

ID: harmonic-oscillator-action-angle-variables

For a harmonic oscillator with Hamiltonian , where , define
These action-angle variables are defined for , with a local angle modulo . A proof of canonicity is and , which give using the Poisson bracket. Substitution gives . Hamilton's equations then prove and . The action integral around the corresponding phase space ellipse is , so is the usual normalized action variable. The angle is undefined at the zero-energy origin.

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