Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2017 / Prelims / Mathematics V / 3 / b

The mass density depends only on $r$, so it has spherical symmetry. For this isolated planet, choose the Newtonian gravitational potential to vanish at infinity, or equivalently choose $\phi =-\Phi$ to do so. There is no imposed external gravitational field. Rotating the mass distribution therefore leaves $\phi$ unchanged: $\phi =\phi (r)$.

The gradient in spherical coordinates consequently has no angular components, and the paper's gravitational potential sign conventions giveAt the centre there is no distinguished radial direction, and spherical symmetry makes $\mathbf{g}(0)=0$.

On a sphere of radius $r$, the radial gravitational field has constant magnitude. Thus Gauss's law for gravity becomeswhere $M(r)$ is the enclosed mass. In the hollow core $M(r)=0$. In the material shell, put $u=r/r_0$ and use the spherical coordinates volume element:Outside the shell the enclosed mass is the totalConsequently,At $r=0$ the displayed value refers to the radial derivative of the constant core value. The expressions match at both shell boundaries. There is no surface sheet of mass, so a jump in the volume mass density does not produce a jump in the gravitational field. The core has zero gravitational field, and the exterior gravitational field equals that of a central point mass $M_{\ast }$, as in the shell theorem.

The core contributes no change in $\phi$, since ${\phi }^{\prime }=0$ there. Integrating the radial gravitational field across the shell, with $u=r/r_0$, givesUsing the supplied antiderivative,HenceThe negative sign agrees with ${\phi }^{\prime }(r)<0$ in the material shell under the paper's gravitational potential sign conventions.