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Under the gauge transformation,because the curl of a gradient vanishes, andThe transformed Lagrangian isA total time derivative changes the action only by endpoint terms, whose variation vanishes for fixed endpoints, so the Euler-Lagrange equations are unchanged.

The new momentum isUse the type-two generating function for a canonical transformationIt gives $\mathbf{p}=\partial F_2/\partial \mathbf{r}=\tilde{\mathbf{p}}-q\nabla f$, $\tilde{\mathbf{r}}=\partial F_2/\partial \tilde{\mathbf{p}}=\mathbf{r}$, andThis equals $|\tilde{\mathbf{p}}-q\tilde{\mathbf{A}}{|}^2/(2m)+q\tilde{\varphi }$, so the gauge change is a time-dependent canonical transformation.

The electric-dipole approximation for radiation requires the source size to be much smaller than the radiation wavelength:The displayed $1/r$ fields also describe the radiation zone, so the observation point must satisfy $r\gg a$ and $r\gg c/\omega$.

Write $t_r=t-r/c$. The given vector potential and the time derivative of the electric dipole moment giveWhen taking the curl, differentiating $1/r$ produces a near-field term of order $r^{-2}$, while differentiating the retarded time produces the leading radiation term because $\nabla t_r=-\hat{\mathbf{x}}/c$. Hence

The assumed electric field $\mathbf{E}=-c\hat{\mathbf{x}}\times \mathbf{B}$ and the transversality $\hat{\mathbf{x}}\cdot \mathbf{B}=0$ make the Poynting vectorOn a sphere of radius $R$, the power through surface element $R^{2}d\Omega$ is thereforeChoose the polar axis along $\ddot{\mathbf{p}}$ and use the angular distribution of electric dipole radiation, for which $|\hat{\mathbf{x}}\times \ddot{\mathbf{p}}{|}^2=|\ddot{\mathbf{p}}{|}^2{\sin }^2\theta$. Since $\int {\sin }^2\theta d\Omega =8\pi /3$,

For the charged particle in simple harmonic motion,ThusHere the angular frequency obeys $\omega =2\pi /T$, and the average uses $⟨{\sin }^2⟩=1/2$. The dipole condition is

Allow the amplitude to vary slowly as radiation removes energy. The mechanical energy isso the radiation damping of a harmonically oscillating charge givesThis is exponential decay with rate $\gamma ={\mu }_0{q}^2{\omega }^2/(6\pi mc)$. Its half-life isFinally, the largest particle speed is $v_{\max }=A\omega$. Therefore the dipole condition $A\omega /c\ll 1$ itself implies $v_{\max }\ll c$, precisely the nonrelativistic limit required by the mechanical energy formula.

Writing $a_k{x}_k=\mathbf{a}\cdot \mathbf{x}$ and differentiating givesIts symmetric second-rank tensor part and antisymmetric second-rank tensor part areTaking the trace makes the two symmetric terms cancel, so the divergence isContracting the antisymmetric part with the Levi-Civita symbol gives the curl

The surface is an annular band of the downward-opening paraboloid, bounded by the circles $r=1,z=4$ and $r=2,z=1$. Choose the upward orientation.

The curl of $\mathbf{A}=(3y,-xz,y{z}^2)$ isFor the graph $z=5-x^2-y^2$, the upward vector surface integral element isOver the annulus $1<r<2$, the odd term $2x{z}^2$ integrates to zero. Therefore

Since $\nabla \varphi ={\mathbf{e}}_{\varphi }/r$, the vector field has cylindrical componentsThe divergence in cylindrical coordinates is thereforeDirect use of the curl in cylindrical coordinates givesandThus, definingwe obtain

On the part with $1\le z\le 2$, writeThis is the upper portion of a hyperboloid of one sheet. Choosing the outward orientation, whose normal points radially away from the $z$-axis, the vector area element isIts radial component is positive and its vertical component is negative. Reversing the normal reverses all the fluxes below.

Forthe curl isOn the surface, $z^2={\rho }^2-1$, and thereforeDirect integration gives

To verify this with the Stokes theorem, note that on a circle of fixed $\rho ,z$,The induced boundary orientation runs in the negative $\varphi$ direction on the top circle and the positive $\varphi$ direction on the bottom circle. Hence

For $S^{\prime }$, Stokes' theorem again reduces the flux to its two boundary circles. The outward orientation gives positive $\varphi$ direction at $z=-1$, where ${\rho }^2=2$, and negative $\varphi$ direction at $z=\sqrt{2}$, where ${\rho }^2=3$. Thus

Each field has only an azimuthal component and is independent of $r$ and $\varphi$. The curl in spherical coordinates therefore reduces toand its $\varphi$ component vanishes. The half-angle identitiesshow in both cases that

Apply part (a) with $g(r)=r^{-3}$. Thenaway from the origin, explicitly confirming that each resulting curl has zero divergence.

Using the polar-coordinate curl with $u_{\theta }=r\Omega (r)$ gives

Take the curl of the integral from part (a). Since $J(r^{\prime })$ is independent of $r$,This is the Biot-Savart law.

Linearizing the cosmological Euler equation givesTaking the curl removes the gradient force, so the vorticity $\mathbf{w}=\nabla \times \mathbf{v}$ obeysSince $\mathcal{H}=a^{\prime }/a$, its solution isThus expansion dilutes linear vorticity; in an Einstein-de Sitter universe, $a\propto {\tau }^2$ and $\mathbf{w}\propto {\tau }^{-2}$.

The steady incompressible Stokes flow equations areTaking the curl eliminates the pressure gradient and commutes with the Laplacian, so for the vorticity $\mathbf{\omega }=\nabla \times \mathbf{u}$,This is the vorticity part of Harmonic pressure and vorticity in Stokes flow.

For a two-dimensional incompressible flow, choose the stream function conventionThenApplying the harmonic-vorticity equation givesthe Biharmonic stream function for planar Stokes flow equation.

In the Cartesian basis, writing $F=(F_1,F_2,F_3)$,defines the divergence, while the curl isEquivalently,

Write $r=\sqrt{x^2+y^2}>0$. The cylindrical coordinates give ${\mathbf{e}}_{\theta }=(-y/r,x/r,0)$ and ${\mathbf{e}}_r=(x/r,y/r,0)$, so the vector components of the vector field areThe first two components of the curl, calculated in Cartesian coordinates, are $-x{f}^{\prime }(z)/r$ and $-y{f}^{\prime }(z)/r$. For the third component, the chain rule givesand henceCombining these vector components in the cylindrical basis yieldsThe restriction $r>0$ matters because the cylindrical basis is undefined on the axis.

Use the spherical coordinates parametrizationThen ${\mathbf{R}}_{\varphi }\times {\mathbf{R}}_{\theta }=\sin \varphi \mathbf{R}$, so the outward unit normal vector is $\mathbf{n}=\mathbf{R}=\sin \varphi {\mathbf{e}}_r+\cos \varphi {\mathbf{e}}_z$ and the surface area element is $\sin \varphi d\varphi d\theta$. Since $\sin \varphi >0$ throughout this band, the vector field is smooth near it. The surface integral of the curl isFor the induced boundary orientation, the lower circle $\varphi =\beta$ is traversed with increasing $\theta$, and the upper circle $\varphi =\alpha$ with decreasing $\theta$. One way to check the signs is that the outward conormal is ${\mathbf{e}}_{\varphi }$ at the lower circle and $-{\mathbf{e}}_{\varphi }$ at the upper circle; the positive unit tangent vector is $\mathbf{n}\times \text{conormal}$.

Along a circle of fixed $\varphi$, $d\mathbf{r}=\sin \varphi {\mathbf{e}}_{\theta }d\theta$. Therefore the circulation iswhich equals the boxed surface integral and verifies Stokes theorem with the required orientation.

The space ${\mathbb{R}}^3$ is simply connected, and the electric field has zero curl. Hence it is a conservative vector field. More explicitly, Stokes theorem gives zero circulation around any closed loop, since such a loop bounds a spanning surface in ${\mathbb{R}}^3$. Therefore the line integral between two fixed endpoints is independent of the chosen path.

Fix a reference point ${\mathbf{r}}_0$ and define the electric potentialTaking a short straight terminal segment in each coordinate direction shows ${\partial }_j\phi =-E_j$. ConsequentlyThe electric potential is determined up to an additive constant; the later condition at infinity fixes that constant for the finite charge distribution in part (b).

Here a potential of a conservative vector field means a single-valued scalar field $\psi$ with $\nabla \psi =\mathbf{F}$. By the fundamental theorem for line integrals, its line integral around every closed curve must vanish. Here the angular circulation obstruction to a cylindrical potential lets us test this using a circle about the axis.

On $V_1$, the circle from i lies entirely in the region and has line integral $4\sqrt{2}$. Therefore there is no potential of a conservative vector field on $V_1$.

On $V_2$, choose the continuous angular branch $-\pi <\theta <\pi$. By a, the equation for a potential of a conservative vector field reduces to ${\psi }_r={\psi }_z=0$ and ${\psi }_{\theta }=\sqrt{2}\cos (\theta /2)$. ThusThe denominator is positive throughout $V_2$, including when $y=0$ and $x>0$, so this is a well-defined differentiable potential of a conservative vector field on the entire region.

For $V_3$, choose the particular circle $x=2\cos \theta$, $y=2\sin \theta$, $z=0$. Its only point on the removed half-plane's supporting cut is $(-2,0,0)$, where $(x+2{)}^2+z^2=0<1$; this point is retained by $V_3$. Thus the whole circle lies in $V_3$ and again has line integral $4\sqrt{2}$. Consequently there is no potential of a conservative vector field on $V_3$. The opening in the cut allows a closed curve to go around the excluded axis.

Finally $V_4\subset V_2$. Restricting the potential of a conservative vector field already constructed on $V_2$ givesThe extra excluded cylinder does not invalidate an existing potential of a conservative vector field. Thus being simply connected is a sufficient condition in the usual curl-free criterion, not a necessary condition for a particular vector field to have a potential of a conservative vector field.

Write ${\partial }_i=\partial /\partial x_i$ and use $\times$ for the paper's wedge notation, which denotes the cross product. The given expression for the curl and the product rule giveApply the vector triple product identity $\mathbf{a}\times (\mathbf{b}\times \mathbf{c})=\mathbf{b}(\mathbf{a}\cdot \mathbf{c})-\mathbf{c}(\mathbf{a}\cdot \mathbf{b})$ separately to the two terms:Summing over the Cartesian basis vectors identifies the two directional derivatives and the two divergences:Here, for example, $((\mathbf{w}\cdot \nabla )\mathbf{v}{)}_j={\sum }_i{w}_i{\partial }_i{v}_j$. This proves the curl of a cross product directly from the formula supplied.

For the vector field $\mathbf{u}=(-y,x,0)$, the Cartesian formula for the curl gives

Apply the product rule inside the Cartesian expression for the curl:The first sum is the gradient of the scalar field and the second is the curl of the vector field. Thus the curl product rule for a scalar field is

Choose the outward orientation on the upper half of the ellipsoid, giving counterclockwise boundary orientation on $C$ as viewed from $z>0$. Parametrize the boundary circle byThen $\mathbf{u}(\mathbf{c}(t))=(-\sin t,\cos t,0)={\mathbf{c}}^{\prime }(t)$, so the line integral isFor a direct surface integral, use the parametrized surfaceIts outward vector surface element is supplied by the cross productUsing the curl from a,The two integrals agree for every $\alpha >0$, verifying the Stokes theorem. Only the vertical component of the vector surface element enters, which explains the absence of $\alpha$ in the answer.