The fact that repulsive Rutherford scattering casts a paraboloidal shadow is rarely exploited in introductory mechanics textbooks. Another rarely used construction in such textbooks is the Hamilton vector, a cousin of the more famous Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector. We will show how the latter (Hamiltons vector) can be used to explain and clarify the former (paraboloidal shadow).
A unified account, from a pedagogical perspective, is given of the longitudinal and transverse projective delta functions proposed by Belinfante and of their relation to the Helmholtz theorem for the decomposition of a three-vector field into its longitudinal and transverse components. It is argued that the results are applicable to fields that are time-dependent as well as fields that are time-independent.
Ballistic injection in a nanodevice is a complex process where electrons can either be transmitted or reflected, thereby introducing deviations from the otherwise quantized conductance. In this context, quantum rings (QRs) appear as model geometries: in a semiclassical view, most electrons bounce against the central QR antidot, which strongly reduces injection efficiency. Thanks to an analogy with Rutherford scattering, we show that a local partial depletion of the QR close to the edge of the antidot can counter-intuitively ease ballistic electron injection. On the contrary, local charge accumulation can focus the semi-classical trajectories on the hard-wall potential and strongly enhance reflection back to the lead. Scanning gate experiments on a ballistic QR, and simulations of the conductance of the same device are consistent, and agree to show that the effect is directly proportional to the ratio between the strength of the perturbation and the Fermi energy. Our observation surprisingly fits the simple Rutherford formalism in two-dimensions in the classical limit.
A proof is given of the vector identity proposed by Gubarev, Stodolsky and Zakarov that relates the volume integral of the square of a 3-vector field to non-local integrals of the curl and divergence of the field. The identity is applied to the case of the magnetic vector potential and magnetic field of a rotating charged shell. The latter provides a straightforward exercise in the use of the addition theorem of spherical harmonics.
A rigorous mathematical proof is given of a class of vector identities that provide a way to separate an arbitrary vector field (over a linear space) into the sum of a radial (i.e., pointing toward the radial unit vector) vector field, minus the divergence of a tensor plus the curl of an axial vector. Such a separation is applied to the representation of electric current densities yielding a specific form of the effective polarization and magnetization fields which is also discussed in some details.
The instantaneous nature of the potentials of the Coulomb gauge is clarified and a concise derivation is given of the vector potential of the Coulomb gauge expressed in terms of the instantaneous magnetic field.