Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2011/ia/paper-4/9b/b/solution

For , the radial gradient gives
The force is radial and has no torque about the origin. For the remaining force, use the vector triple product:
Meanwhile the radial unit vector obeys
Since , these derivatives cancel. Thus the generalized angular momentum in a radial monopole field is
The argument applies away from , where the field is defined, for any radial . In contrast to ordinary angular momentum, this conserved vector has ; it fixes a cone rather than generally fixing a plane.

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