Newtonian Mechanics
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Part II. Newtonian mechanics 30 4. Newtonian mechanics In this part of the book, we consider N-particle Newtonian mechanics: this chapter in- troduces the theory and its symmetries, the next discusses the rationale for regarding symmetry-related models as physically equivalent, and the one after that considers how we might seek to revise the theory to incorporate that judgment of physical equiv- alence. 4.1. Introduction to N-particle Newtonian mechanics In the first instance, we will describe this theory in terms of coordinates. We therefore expect that at least some of the structure of the theory will be unphysical, a mere ‘arte- fact of the coordinate system’. However, we will refrain from making intuitive judg- ments about which structural features correspond to physical features: in due course, we will use symmetry considerations to make such judgments. To set this up, we introduce a gadget that we will use repeatedly in what follows. Given some mathematical structure ⌦, an ⌦-valued variable is one whose intended range is ⌦—thus, given a Tarski-model A, a first-order variable is a A -valued variable, and | | a second-order variable of arity n is a ( A n)-valued variable. Then, given a set P | | ⇠ ,...,⇠ of ⌦-valued variables, the value space associated with that set consists of { 1 m} all maps from ⇠ ,...,⇠ to ⌦. Note that given an ordering on the variables, such a { 1 m} map can also be thought of as an m-tuple of elements of ⌦: such an m-tuple, after all, is simply a map from 1, . , m to ⌦. Thus, the value space is isomorphic to ⌦m.1 { } Now, without worrying too much about what doing this might mean, we take as given a coordinate system with x-, y- and z-axes, which persists over time; and we take as given some clock that measures the passage of time. We introduce one R- valued variable ptq, representing time, and three R-valued variables px1q, px2q and px3q, representing (respectively) the x-, y- and z-components of position. From these, 1Of course, one of the lessons that should have been taken from the previous chapters is that this kind of loose use of terms like ‘isomorphic’ is to be deplored. Consider this evidence that one should do as I say, not as I do. 31 we form the value spaces T (isomorphic to R) and X (isomorphic to R3); they repre- sent time and (position) space. We then introduce X-valued variables px1q,...,pxNq, with xn representing the position of the nth particle. The value-space for these variables will be denoted Q, and represents ‘configuration space’. Q therefore consists of maps from x ,...,x to X. Each such map is equivalent (via uncurrying) to a map from { 1 N} x ,...,x x1, x2, x3 R: we abbreviate the pair x , xi as xi , so that Q can also { 1 N}⇥{ }! h n i n be thought of as the value-space for 3N real-valued variables xi (with 1 i 3 and n 1 n N). The dynamics of the theory are given by the following set of differential equations (where 1 i 3 and 1 n N): d2xi m n = Fi (4.1) n dt n i Each equation in this set contains two new symbols, pmnq and pFnq; these are also taken to be real-valued (in the case of mn, to be positive real-valued). mn represents the mass i of the nth particle, and Fn the ith component of the force on the nth particle. A kinematically possible model for this theory will specify (constant) values for the mn, and the value of all xi and Fi at each t T; so the data specified consists of N real n n 2 numbers, and 6N functions from T to R. Such a kinematically possible model is a dynamically possible model if it is a solution of (4.1): that is, if for all t T, and all 1 i 3 2 and 1 n N, d2xi m n (t)=Fi (t) (4.2) n dt2 n This theory is something of a framework; we can make it more specific by adding i force-laws for the forces Fn. For example, if we suppose that each of our N particles has an electric charge q , and that they are in some electrical field given by Ei : X R3, n ! then we have i i Fn = qnE (xn) (4.3) On the other hand, if we are instead considering a theory where the N particles are mutually interacting through gravitation, then Gm m xi xi i p n n − p Fn = Â 2 (4.4) p=n xn xp xn xp 6 | − | | − | where x x := (xj xj )2 (4.5) | n − p| Â n − p s j 32 Finally, in the trivial case of free particles, the force-functions are especially simple: i Fn = 0 (4.6) 4.2. Changes of variables The theory above is (by design) stated for a single coordinate system. It is taken as read that the theory describes phenomena which are independent of a coordinate sys- tem. However, simply because the phenomena are independent of a coordinate system, it does not follow that the theory is: in particular, just because the theory holds in our coordinate system it does not follow that it will hold in some other coordinate system. What follows is merely that some other theory, systematically related to this one, will be true in that coordinate system. In other words, in order to make use of another co- ordinate system, we must specify how to translate the theory into a theory appropriate to that coordinate system. It will be best to illustrate this by an example. Let N = 1, and suppress the third 1 2 dimension: then, writing x1 = x and x1 = y, the theory reduces to the form mx¨ = Fx(x, y) (4.7a) my¨ = Fy(x, y) (4.7b) where dots indicate differentiation with respect to t. Writing the value-space of the set x , y as X Y (which is isomorphic to R2), we may consider solutions to this {p q p q} ⇥ theory as functions from T to X Y. ⇥ We now introduce new variables (the polar coordinates) prq and p✓q, and stipulate that pxq and pyq are translated into these new variables according to x r cos ✓ (4.8a) ⌘ y r sin ✓ (4.8b) ⌘ where have used the notation introduced in Chapter 2 (anticipating that this translation will be invertible). The value-space for the set of variables r , ✓ will be denoted R ⇥. We saw in {p q p q} ⇥ Chapter 2 that any translation induces a dual map on models; here, this corresponds to the fact that a translation from the variables pxq, pyq to the variables prq, p✓q induces a 33 map from R ⇥ to X Y, namely: ⇥ ⇥ (r, ✓) (r cos ✓, r sin ✓) (4.9) 7! In order that this map be a bijection, we stipulate that r 0, that (r, ✓)=(r, ✓ + 2⇡), ≥ and that (0, ✓)=(0, 0).2 This means we can write down expressions for the inverse translations: r x2 + y2 (4.10a) ⌘ q 1 y ✓ tan− (4.10b) ⌘ x ⇣ ⌘ together with the requirement that if x = 0, then ✓ = ⇡/2. We therefore have an invertible pair of translations, and so we can seek to translate the theory (4.7) into the new coordinate system. First, we observe that applying the derivative operator twice to each side of the translations (4.8) yields x¨ (r¨ r✓˙2) cos ✓ (2r˙✓˙ + r✓¨) sin ✓ (4.11) ⌘ − − y¨ (r¨ r✓˙2) sin ✓ +(2r˙✓˙ + r✓¨) cos ✓ (4.12) ⌘ − If we substitute in these expressions, then we get a theory whose differential equations are m(r¨ r✓˙2) cos ✓ (2r˙✓˙ + r✓¨) sin ✓ = Fx (4.13a) − − m(r¨ r✓˙2) sin ✓ +(2r˙✓˙ + r✓¨) cos ✓ = Fy (4.13b) − However, this theory is—in a certain sense—only a partial translation, since we are still expressing the forces in terms of their components in the original coordinate system. Provided that is understood, of course, the theory is still appropriate as a translation, and captures the same content as the original; indeed, there might even be situations where using one coordinate system to describe positions and another to describe forces might be appropriate (although it is not so easy to think of an example). Nevertheless, one might argue that it is unsatisfactory, given that it makes use of two coordinate systems. For this reason, the label of ‘Newtonian mechanics in polar 2Geometrically, this means that R ⇥ has the structure of a half-cylinder that has been ‘pinched off’ at ⇥ one end. 34 coordinates’ is typically reserved for the theory m(r¨ r✓˙2)=Fr (4.14a) − m(2r˙✓˙ + r✓¨)=F✓ (4.14b) which may be obtained by extending the translation ⌧ to the force expressions, accord- ing to Fx Fr cos ✓ F✓ sin ✓ (4.15) ⌘ − Fy Fr sin ✓ + F✓ cos ✓ (4.16) ⌘ That is, if we substitute these expressions into (4.7), then after some algebraic manipu- lation we obtain the translated theory (4.14). As we would expect, if we do the reverse process, then we find that the translations (4.10) will convert the theory (4.14) into the theory (4.7)—provided, that is, that we translate the force-functions according to x y Fr Fx + Fy (4.17a) ⌘ x2 + y2 x2 + y2 x y F✓ p Fx p Fy (4.17b) ⌘ x2 + y2 − x2 + y2 p p Why are these the ‘correct’ ways of extending the coordinate translations to trans- lations of force-expressions? The standard answer appeals to geometric arguments, in particular the fact that force is a vector quantity; thus, the components of forces in a new coordinate system are determined by computing how the ‘coordinate vectors’—unit vectors directed along the coordinate axes—change under the move to a new coordi- nate system.