The exponent of the point-mass weight is , with . At the origin the unreferenced relative potential has integrand , whose integral diverges at its upper endpoint. In the origin-referenced potential the two terms cancel pointwise there. More generally, first form their difference at finite cutoffs and then pass to the limit. For any fixed nonzero , the small- singular term is , which is integrable because . At large ,
so the weighted difference is integrable because . Hence the referenced potential is well defined, and its value at the origin is zero. It is a potential difference for an infinite astrophysical disk, not a potential with zero at infinity. In fact rescaling all lengths shows ; its finite values approach zero at the origin even though its force is singular there.
For , differentiation under the convergent force integral in the plane gives
Use , for which . The powers of , , and then give
where the Euler beta function evaluates the constant as
The first Gamma function argument is : it follows from adding one to the exponent of . Both Euler beta function arguments are positive in the stated range.
For a circular orbit in the plane, . The prescribed circular speed therefore fixes and
Independently, the Kuzmin reflection method gives
Here the power of is one larger than in the force integral, so its Euler beta function arguments differ. Substituting the normalization fixed by the circular speed yields
This scale-free Kuzmin superposition has nonnegative surface density, finite central enclosed mass, and infinite total mass. Its force and surface density approach the Mestel disk values as ; that limiting disk requires a different potential reference at the origin.
Use gravitational acceleration . Through the plane with upward unit normal, the signed gravitational flux per unit area of the point mass is
Thus its downward flux magnitude is . Subtracting a constant from the gravitational potential does not change this flux.
The Kuzmin reflection method gives the even relative potential . It is harmonic above and below the plane because the corresponding point masses lie outside the respective half-spaces. At the plane the derivative jump is
Integrating the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity through a thin layer, with the Dirac delta, equates this jump to . Therefore
This is a Kuzmin disk. As a check, its total mass is .
Replace the point mass by and superpose the Kuzmin disks. Linearity of the Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity gives, whenever the force integral converges,
Both choices of potential reference give this same surface density. If the unreferenced potential diverges, perform the reference subtraction in each component before taking the integral limit; the force and the surface density may still be finite.
For and , the unreferenced relative potential of the Kuzmin reflection method diverges at large . Referencing each component to the origin before integrating gives the finite potential difference
At small the subtraction is integrable because ; at large the difference is , integrable because . Its plane force is , where . A circular speed fixes , giving
The beta function substitutions for the force and surface density have different exponents. Its central mass is locally finite, but its total mass diverges at large radius; a potential zero at infinity cannot be imposed. The force and density approach those of the Mestel disk as .