Space Physics (I) [AP-3044] Lecture 1 by Ling-Hsiao Lyu Oct.

2011
"#"
Lecture 1. Dipole Magnetic Field and Equations of Magnetic Field Lines

1.1. Dipole Magnetic Field

Since ! " B = 0 we can define
B = !" A (1.1)
where A is called the vector potential. We use the bold face font to denote vector. For static
magnetic field, we have
!" B =
0
J (1.2)
Substituting Eq. (1.1) into Eq. (1.2) to eliminate B, it yields
!" (!" A) = #!
2
A+ !(!$ A) =
0
J (1.3)
We choose the Coulomb gauge, ! " A = 0, the equation (1.3) can be rewritten as
!
2
A = "
0
J (1.4)
Note that:
If we choose the Coulomb gauge: ! " A = 0, the scalar potential will contain no
electromagnetic component.
If we choose the Lorentz gauge:

1
c
2
!"(x, t)
!t
+ #$ A(x, t) = 0, the scalar potential will contain
an electromagnetic component.
Eq. (1.4) is similar to the Poisson equation of the electrostatic potential
!
2
" = #
$
c
%
0
(1.5)
General solution of Eq. (1.5) can be written as
!(r) =
"
c
(r')
4#$
0
| r % r' |
&
dr' (1.6)
Special Case:
The scalar potential create by a point charge q is
! =
q
4"#
0
r

Likewise, the general solution of Eq. (1.4) can be written as
A(r) =

0
J(r')
4! | r " r' |
#
dr' (1.7)

Space Physics (I) [AP-3044] Lecture 1 by Ling-Hsiao Lyu Oct. 2011
"#$
Exercise 1.1.
Let f (x) = (1+ x)
!
. For 0 < x <1, please determine the approximate polynomial expression
of f (x) . That is, f (x) ! a
0
+ a
1
x + a
2
x
2
+ a
3
x
3

where a term with magnitude of the order of O(x
4
) has been ignored.
(a) Write down the general form of a
0
, a
1
, a
2
, a
3
for a given !
(b) For ! = 1/ 2 , write down the approximate polynomial expression of f (x) .
(c) For ! = "1/ 2 , write down the approximate polynomial expression of f (x) .
(d) For ! = "1, write down the approximate polynomial expression of f (x) .
(e) For ! = "2 , write down the approximate polynomial expression of f (x) .
Answesr of Exercise 1.1
(a) a
0
= 1 a
1
= ! a
2
= !(! "1) / 2! a
3
= !(! "1)(! " 2) / 3!
(b) f (x) = 1+ x !1+
1
2
x +
"1
8
x
2
+
1
16
x
3

(c) f (x) =
1
1+ x
!1"
1
2
x +
3
8
x
2
"
5
16
x
3

(d) f (x) =
1
1+ x
!1" x + x
2
" x
3

(e) f (x) =
1
(1+ x)
2
!1" 2x + 3x
2
" 4x
3



Figure 1.1. A coordinate system for the study of the field generate by a ring current
J(r') =

!' J
0
"(r '# r
0
)"($ '#
%
2
) = (#sin!'

x'+ cos!'

y')J
0
"(r '# r
0
)"($ '#
%
2
)
Space Physics (I) [AP-3044] Lecture 1 by Ling-Hsiao Lyu Oct. 2011
"#%
Let us consider a coordinate system as illustrated in Figure 1.1, where
r = r cos!

z + r sin! cos"

x + r sin! sin"

y = r cos!

z + r sin!

x'
r' = r
0
cos!'

x'+ r
0
sin!'

y'

!' = "sin!'

x'+ cos!'

y'

! =

y'
Given a ring current J(r') =

!' J
0
"(r '# r
0
)"($ '#
%
2
) = (#sin!'

x'+ cos!'

y')J
0
"(r '# r
0
)"($ '#
%
2
)
The General solution of the vector potential A is (Jackson, section 5.5)
A(x)
= A
!

! = A
!

y'
=

0
J(r')
4" | r # r' |
$
dr'
= dr '
r
0
#%r / 2
r
0
+%r / 2
$
r ' d& '
(" / 2)#%& / 2
(" / 2)+%& / 2
$
r ' sin&
0
2"
$
' d!'

0
J
0
'(r '# r
0
)'[& '# (" / 2)]

!'
4" r
2
cos
2
& + (r sin& # r
0
cos!')
2
+ (r
0
sin!')
2
=

0
J
0
(%r)(r
0
%&)r
0
4"
#sin!'

x'+ cos!'

y'
r
2
+ r
0
2
# 2rr
0
sin& cos!'
0
2"
$
d!'

(1.8)
Let I
0
= J
0
(!r)(r
0
!") , ! = r
2
+ r
0
2
, ! = 2rr
0
sin" , Eq. (1.8) can be written as
A
!

y' =

0
I
0
r
0
4"
(

x'
#sin!'
$ # % cos!'
0
2"
&
d!'+

y'
cos!'
$ # % cos!'
0
2"
&
d!')
=

0
I
0
r
0
4"

x'[
d cos!'
$ # % cos!'
! ' =0
! ' ="
&
+
d cos!'
$ # % cos!'
! ' ="
! ' =2"
&
]
+

0
I
0
r
0
4"

y'
cos!'
$
[1#
1
2
(#
%
$
cos!')
0
2"
&
+ O(
%
2
$
2
cos
2
!')]d!'
=

0
I
0
r
0
4"

x'[
dx
$ # %x
1
0
&
+
dx
$ # %x
0
1
&
]
+

0
I
0
r
0
4"

y'
cos!'
$
[1+
1
2
%
$
cos!'
0
2"
&
+ O(
%
2
$
2
cos
2
!')]d!'
=

0
I
0
r
0
4"

y'
cos!'
$
[1+
1
2
%
$
cos!'
0
2"
&
+ O(
%
2
$
2
cos
2
!')]d!'

(1.9)
For r >> r
0
, i.e., ! >> " , we can ignore the small second-order term O(
!
2
"
2
cos
2
#') in Eq.
(1.9). It yields
Space Physics (I) [AP-3044] Lecture 1 by Ling-Hsiao Lyu Oct. 2011
"#&
A
!

y' "

0
I
0
r
0
4#

y'
cos!'
$
[1+
1
2
%
$
cos!'
0
2#
&
]d!'
=

y'

0
I
0
r
0
4#
[ cos!'
0
2#
&
d!'+
%
2$
3/ 2
cos
2
!'
0
2#
&
d!']
=

y'

0
I
0
r
0
4#
[0 +
%
2$
3/ 2
#]
"

y'

0
I
0
r
0
4#
[
2rr
0
sin'
2r
3
#]
=

y'

0
(I
0
#r
0
2
)
4#
sin'
r
2

(1.10)
Using the definition of magnetic moment M = I
0
!r
0
2
, Eq. (1.10) can be written as
A
!
=

0
M
4"
sin#
r
2
(1.11)

Exercise 1.2.
Please determine the dipole magnetic field B from the vector potential given in Eq. (1.11)
Solution of Exercise 1.2:
Since B = !" A, it yields
B = !" A =
1
r
2
sin#

r r

# r sin#

$
%
%r
%
%#
%
%$
A
r
rA
#
r sin#A
$
=
1
r
2
sin#

r r

# r sin#

$
%
%r
%
%#
%
%$
0 0 r sin#

0
M
4&
sin#
r
2
=

0
M
4&
1
r
2
sin#

r r

# r sin#

$
%
%r
%
%#
%
%$
0 0
sin
2
#
r
=

0
M
4&
1
r
2
sin#
[

r
%
%#
(
sin
2
#
r
) ' r

#
%
%r
(
sin
2
#
r
)]
=

0
M
4&
1
r
2
sin#
[

r(
2sin# cos#
r
) + r

#(
sin
2
#
r
2
)]
=

0
M
4&
1
r
3
[

r(2cos#) +

#(sin#)]

(1.12)
Space Physics (I) [AP-3044] Lecture 1 by Ling-Hsiao Lyu Oct. 2011
"#'

For Earth dipole magnetic field
B =

0
(!M
E
)
4"
1
r
3
[

r(2cos#) +

#(sin#)] (1.13)
It can be rewritten as
B =
!B
0
(r / R
E
)
3
[

r(2cos") +

"(sin")] (1.14)
where B
0
= B(r = R
E
,! = " / 2) # 0.35G = 35000$ = 35000nT is the magnitude of magnetic
field on the Earth' surface at the magnetic equator. The ! is called the co-latitude. The
latitude is ! =
"
2
#$ .

1.2. Differential Equations of the Magnetic Field Line

Let us consider a segment ds along the magnetic field line, where
ds =

rdr +

!rd! +

"r sin!d" =

xdx +

ydy +

zdz
It yields
ds = ds = dr
2
+ r
2
d!
2
+ r
2
sin
2
!d"
2
= dx
2
+ dy
2
+ dz
2

Let B =

rB
r
+

!B
!
+

"B
"
=

xB
x
+

yB
y
+

zB
z

Since

B ! ds , it yields
dr
B
r
=
rd!
B
!
=
r sin!d"
B
"
=
ds
B
(1.15)
Eq. (1.15) can be rewritten in the following system ordinary differential equations
dr
ds
=
B
r
B
rd!
ds
=
B
!
B
r sin!d"
ds
=
B
"
B
(1.16)
Likewise,

B ! ds yields
dx
B
x
=
dy
B
y
=
dz
B
z
=
ds
B
(1.17)
Eq. (1.17) can be rewritten in the following system ordinary differential equations
Space Physics (I) [AP-3044] Lecture 1 by Ling-Hsiao Lyu Oct. 2011
"#(
dx
ds
=
B
x
B
dy
ds
=
B
y
B
dz
ds
=
B
z
B
(1.18)
Eqs. (1.16) and (1.18) can be solved by the 2nd order or the fourth order Runge-Kutta
method.

1.3. Dipole Magnetic Field Line

The Earth dipole magnetic field is given in Eq. (1.14). From Eq. (1.15), the dipole magnetic
field line should satisfy the following differential equation
dr
2cos!
=
rd!
sin!
(1.19)
Solving Eq. (1.19), it yields
dr
r
=
2cos!d!
sin!
= 2
dsin!
sin!

Integrating along the field line, it yields
dlnr(!)
r(! =" / 2)
r(!)
#
= 2 dlnsin!
sin(! =" / 2)
sin!
#
(1.20)
Let r(! = " / 2) = r
eq
= LR
E
, Eq. (1.20) yields
r(!) = r
eq
sin
2
! = LR
E
sin
2
! (1.21)

Exercise 1.3.
A dipole magnetic field line with a given L value will intersect with the Earth's surface at
latitude !
L
. For L = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, find the corresponding latitude !
L
.

Exercise 1.4.
Plot the dipole magnetic field line with L = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Exercise 1.5.
Plot the dipole magnetic field lines, which intersect with the Earth's surface at !
L
= 80, 70,
60, 50, 40, 30, 20, and 10. Estimate the corresponding L values.