A derivation of Poissons equation for gravitational potential

Dr. Christian Salas November 3, 2009

Introduction

A distribution of matter of density = (x, y, z) gives rise to a gravitational potential which satises Poissons equation
2

= 4G
2

at points inside the distribution, where the Laplacian operator in Cartesian coordinates by
2

is given

2 2 2 + 2+ 2 x2 y z

At points external to the distribution, this reduces to Laplaces equation

2

=0

In this note I provide a simple derivation of these results.

Derivation

A force eld F = iFx + jFy + kFz for which the work W = F dr is independent of the path along which we integrate is a conservative eld. Such a force eld can be characterised in two equivalent ways. First, it has the property that we can always nd a scalar function W (x, y, z) such that F= W =i W W W +j +k x y z (1)

so that Fx = We can then write F dr = so

B

W x

Fy =

W y

Fz =

W z

(2)

W dr =

W W W dx + dy + dz = dW x y z
B

F dr =
A A

dW = W (B) W (A)

where W (B) and W (A) mean the values of the function W at the endpoints B and A of the path of integration. Since the value of the integral depends only on the endpoints, it follows that if F = W then the work done by F is independent of the path of integration, which is the dening property of a conservative eld. (If F is non-conservative, it is not possible to nd a scalar function W such that F = W ). A second way to characterise a conservative force eld F is to note that F = curlF = 0 for such a eld. This follows from (2) and Youngs Theorem for cross-partial derivatives since F = curlF = i Fz Fy y z +j Fx Fz z x +k Fy Fx x y

Therefore if F is a conservative force eld then we can write F = W for some scalar function W (x, y, z), and we can also write F = curlF = 0. Now, if a conservative force does work W , a change in potential energy is produced which is equal to W . We write (x, y, z) = W (x, y, z) or W = and call the scalar potential of the force F. Therefore for a conservative eld F we have F= for some scalar function (x, y, z). In order to derive Poissons equation for gravitational potential from the above, let F be the gravitational eld (also called the gravitational acceleration) due to a point mass. From Newtons universal law of gravitation we have F(r) = 2 GM er r2 (3)

where er is a radial unit vector, r is the radial distance, and M is the mass of a point located at the origin. Then the gravitational eld F(r) is the gravitational force experienced by a particle of unit mass at distance r from the point mass M at the origin. (By a shell theorem, it makes no dierence to the argument if the mass M is distributed evenly throughout a sphere 3 of volume V = 4r . We will assume we are dealing with an innitesimally 3 small sphere in what follows). Now imagine a spherical surface V of radius r centred at the point mass M . The total ux of the gravitational eld F over the closed surface V is F dA =
V V

GM er dA r2

GM r2 GM r2

er er dA
V

dA
V

GM 4r2 r2 (4)

= G4M Now, by the Divergence Theorem we have F dA =

V V

FdV

(5)

where V is the closed sphere bounded by the closed surface V . We also have M= dV (6)
V

where is the mass density (mass per unit volume) at each point. Using (5) and (6) in (4) we get F = G4 (7) Using (7) in (3) we get
2

= G4

(8)

which is Poissons equation. 3

At points external to the distribution of mass, we can imagine empty spheres centred at these points through which the net ux of the gravitational eld due to the external mass distribution will be zero. At these points the gravitational potential will satisfy Laplaces equation 2 = 0.

(END OF NOTE)