Serial of year 34

Let us begin this year's serial with analysis of several mechanical oscillators. We will focus on the frequency of their simple harmonic motion. We will also revise what does an oscillator look like in the phase space.

1. Assume that we have a hollow cone of negligible mass with a stone of mass $M$ located in its vertex. We will plunge it into water (of density $\rho $) so that the vertex points downwards and the cone will float on the water surface. Find the waterline depth $h$, measured from the vertex to the water surface, if the total height of the cone is $H$ and its radius is $R$. Find the angular frequency of small vertical oscillation of the cone.
2. Let us imagine a weight of mass $m$ attached to a spring of negligible mass, spring constant $k$ and free length $L$. If we attach the spring by its second end, we will get an oscillator. Find the angular frequency of its simple harmonic motion, assuming that the length of the spring does not change during the motion. Subsequently, find a small difference in angular frequency $\Delta \omega $ between this oscillator and the one in which the spring is substituted by a stiff rod of the same length. Assume $k L \gg m g$.
3. A sugar cube with mass $m$ is located in a landscape consisting of periodically repeating parabolas of height $H$ and width $L$. Describe its potential energy as a function of horizontal coordinate and outline possible trajectories of its motion in phase space, depending on the velocity $v_0$ of the cube on the top of the parabola. Mark all important distances. Use horizontal coordinate as displacement and appropriate units of horizontal momentum. Neglect kinetic energy of cube motion in the vertical direction and assume it remains in contact with the terrain.

Consider a circuit with a coil, a capacitor, a resistor and a voltage source connected in series (i.e. they are not parallel to each other). The coil has an inductance $L$, the capacitor has a capacitance $C$ and the resistor has a resistance $R$. The voltage source creates a voltage $U = U_0 \f {\cos }{\omega t}$. Assume all devices to be ideal. Using the law of conservation of energy, write the equation relating the charge, the velocity of the charge (current $I$) and the acceleration of the charge (rate of change of the current $I$). This is an equation of a damped oscillator. Compared to the equation of damped oscillations of a mass on a spring, what are the quantities analogous to mass, stiffness of the spring and friction? Find the natural frequency of these oscillations.

Furthermore, using the quantities $L$, $R$ and $\omega $, find the capacity $C$ which causes a phase shift of the voltage on the capacitor equal to $\frac {\pi }{4}$. What is the amplitude of the voltage on the capacitor, assuming this phase shift?

Consider a particle with charge $q$ and mass $m$, fixed to a spring with spring constant $k$. The other end of the spring is fixed at a single point. Assume that the particle only moves in a single plane. The whole system exists in a magnetic field of magnitude $B_0$, which is perpendicular to the plane of movement of the particle. We will try to describe possible modes of oscillation of the particle. Start by the determination of equations of motion – do not forget to include the influence of the magnetic field.

Next assume that the particle oscillates in both of the cartesian coordinates of the particle and carry out Fourier substitution – substitute derivatives by factors of $i \omega $, where $\omega $ is the frequency of the oscillations. Solve the resultant set of equations in order to determine the ration of the amplitudes of oscillations in both coordinates and the frequency of oscillations. The solution obtained in this way is quite complicated, and better physical insight can be gained in a simpler case. From now on, assume that the magnetic field is very strong, i.e. $\frac {q^2 B_0^2}{m^2} \gg \frac {k}{m}$. Determine the approximate value(s) of $\omega $ in this case, always up to the first non-zero order. Next, sketch the motion of the particle in the direct (i.e. real) space in this (strong field) case.

We will model the oscillations in the molecule of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a linear molecule, where carbon is placed in between the two oxygen atoms, with all three atoms lying on the same line. We will only consider oscillations along this line. Assume that the small displacements can be modelled by two springs, both with the spring constant $k$, each connecting the carbon atom to one of the oxygen atoms. Let mass of the carbon atom be $M$, and mass of the oxygen atom $m$.

Construct the set of equations describing the forces acting on the atoms for small displacements along the axis of the molecule. The molecule is symmetric under the exchange of certain atoms. Express this symmetry as a matrix acting on a vector of displacements, which you also need to define. Furthermore, determine the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of this symmetry matrix. The symmetry of the molecule is not complete – explain which degrees of freedom are not taken into account in this symmetry.

Continue by constructing a matrix equation describing the oscillations of the system. By introduction of the eigenvectors of the symmetry matrix, which are extended so that they include the degrees of freedom not constrained by the symmetry, determine the normal modes of the system. Determine frequency of these normal modes and sketch the directions of motion. What other modes could be present (still only consider motion along the axis of the molecule)? If there are any other modes you can think of, determine their frequency and direction.

1. On a tense rope, waves can exist with the deflection $\f {u}{x, t}$ from the equilibrium, that satisfy the wave equation with damping

\[\begin{equation*} \ppder {u}{t} = v^2 \ppder {u}{x} + \Gamma \pder {u}{x}  , \end {equation*}\] where $v$ is the phase velocity and $\Gamma $ is the coefficient of damping. Do a fourier substitution and find the dispersion relation. Solve it for the wavenumber $k$. What condition, in terms of frequency $\omega $, phase velocity $v$ and the coefficient $\Gamma $, must the waves meet in order to create nodes on the rope (i.e. points in which the rope stays in equilibrium position, but around which the rope is moving)?

1. Consider a jump rope attached firmly at one end to a fixed wall. At the distance $L$ from the wall, we start moving the rope up and down to create waves. The jump rope has a linear density $\lambda $ and the constant tension $T$ in the direction away from the wall. The deflection then satisfies the equation

\[\begin{equation*} \ppder {u}{t} = \frac {T}{\lambda } \ppder {u}{x}  . \end {equation*}\] For the deflection of the end of the rope that is moving satisfies $\f {u_0}{t} = A \f {\cos }{\omega _0 t}$. Assume the solution can be written in the form of two planar waves moving in the opposite direction to each other. Find the solution using only the parameters given in this problem statement, that is $T$, $\lambda $, $L$, $A$ and $\omega _0$. For certain frequencies, the solution has a diverging amplitude (i.e. growing beyond any limits). Find their values and the respective wavelenghts.

Assume a charged chord with linear density $\rho $, uniformly charged with linear charge density $\lambda $. The tension in the chord is $T$. It is placed in a magnetic field of constant magnitude $B$ pointing in the direction of the chord in equilibrium. Your task is to describe several aspects of the chord's oscillations. First, we want to write the appropriate wave equation. Neglect the effects of electromagnetic induction (assume the chord to be a perfect insulator; that also means the charge density does not change) and find the Lorentz force acting on an unit length of the chord for small oscilations in both directions perpendicular to the equilibrium position. Use this force to write the wave equation (which will also include the effects of the tension). Apply the Fourier substitution and determine the disperse relation in the approximation of a weak field $B$; more specifically, neglect the terms that are of higher than linear order in $\beta = \frac {\lambda B}{k \sqrt {\rho T}} \ll 1$, where $k$ is the wavenumber. Find two polarization vectors, this time neglect even the linear order of $\beta $. Now suppose that in a particular spot on the chord, we create a wave oscilating only in one specific direction. How far from the original spot will be the wave rotated by ninety degrees from the original direction?