Fox - Optical Properties of Solids

Chapter 2
Solution Manual
Written by: Albert Liu

2.1:

We have the equations of motion from Newton’s 2nd law:

m1 ẍ1 = −Ks (x1 − x2 ) m2 ẍ2 = −Ks (x2 − x1 ) (1)

Defining the normal and relative coordinates:

m1 x1 + m2 x2
xcm = xrel = x2 − x1 (2)
m1 + m2
we can express x1 (t) and x2 (t) in terms of xcm and xrel :
m2 m1
x1 = xcm − xrel x2 = xcm + xrel (3)
m1 + m2 m1 + m2
which transforms the equations of motion as:
m1 m2 m1 m2
m1 ẍcm − ẍrel = Ks xrel m2 ẍcm + ẍrel = −Ks xrel (4)
m1 + m2 m1 + m2
We’re only interested in the relative motion of the two masses, so combining the two equations
gives:
 
1 1
ẍrel = −Ks + xrel
m1 m2
Ks
= − xrel (5)
µ

The solution for xrel (t) is thus of the form:

s ! s !
Ks Ks
xrel (t) = c1 cos t + c2 sin t (6)
µ µ

2.2:

We are concerned with the forced oscillation of the oscillator at ω, and we will ignore the resonant
contribution at ω0 . Assuming a solution of the form x(t) = c3 cos(ωt) + c4 sin(ωt), we plug into
the equation of motion to find:
F0
γωc4 − ω 2 c3 + ω02 c3 cos(ωt) + ω02 c4 − ω 2 c4 − γωc3 sin(ωt) =
   
cos(ωt) (7)
m

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 Fox - Optical Properties of Solids

which gives:

F0 (ω02 − ω 2 ) F0 γω
c3 = c4 = (8)
m[(γω)2 + (ω02 − ω 2 )2 ] m[(γω)2 + (ω02 − ω 2 )2 ]

and the solution:

F0  2 2

x(t) = (ω 0 − ω )cos(ωt) + γωsin(ωt)
m[(γω)2 + (ω02 − ω 2 )2 ]
F0 (ω02 − ω 2 )cos(ωt) + γωsin(ωt)
= p p
m (γω)2 + (ω02 − ω 2 )2 (γω)2 + (ω02 − ω 2 )2
F0
= p [cos(φ)cos(ωt) + sin(φ)sin(ωt)]
m (γω)2 + (ω02 − ω 2 )2
F0
= p cos (ωt − φ) (9)
m (γω) + (ω02 − ω 2 )2
2

where we’ve defined the phase between x(t) and the driving force according to:

ω02 − ω 2 γω
cos(φ) = p sin(φ) = p (10)
(γω)2 + (ω02 − ω 2 )2 (γω) + (ω02 − ω 2 )2
2