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Energy in Dielectric Material

Physics Asked by user100411 on December 29, 2020

The total work done to build up the free charge from zero to the final configuration in the presence of a dielectric material is: $$W = frac{1}{2}int vec{D} cdot vec{E} dtau.$$ We got this by supposing the dielectric material is fixed in position and then we bring in the free charge $Delta rho_f$ a bit at a time. Thus the work done on the incremental free charge is given by:
$$Delta W = int (Delta rho_f)V d tau.$$

Since $nabla cdot vec{D} = rho_f$, $Delta rho_f = nabla cdot (Delta vec{D})$, where $Delta vec{D}$ is the resulting change in $vec{D}$, so
$$Delta W = int [nabla cdot (Delta vec{D})]V d tau.$$ and hence by integration by parts
$$ Delta W = int nabla cdot [(Delta vec{D})V]d tau + int(Delta vec{D}) cdot vec{E} d tau.$$ The divergence theorem turns the first term into a surface integral, which vanishes if we integrate over all space. Therefore , the work done is equal to $$Delta W = int (Delta vec{D}) cdot vec{E} d tau.$$

Questions:
Why does $Delta vec{D}V$ have to go to zero faster that $frac{1}{r^2}$ for the surface integral (from the divergence theorem) $int nabla cdot [(Delta vec{D})V]d tau = oint V Delta vec{D} cdot da = 0$?

In this derivation (a full explanation is here) are we accounting for the fact that as we bring in free charge the dielectric material becomes polarised and hence the electric field (and therefore the potential at any point $V(r)$) changes due to the addition of $Delta rho_f$? If so, where in the derivation?

Thanks.

One Answer

Read the demonstration you posted carefully. You have to bring the charges from infinity, so the initial integral is applied to all the space (in the link this is represented as $d^3r$).

The term $Delta vec{D}V$ should go as $1/r^2$ because, as we said, we need to evaluate the integral in all the space. We change the $d^3r equiv dV$ to $dA$ in the divergence theorem, but after integrating we still have to do the limit $Arightarrow+infty$ in order to integrate over the space. If we think in this differential as a growing sphere, then we can write $dA=r^2sintheta dtheta dphi$. We have to integrate this, and then take the limit becomes $rrightarrow +infty$. This gives an infinite result if we don't eliminate the term $r^2$ inside of the integral. To avoid this result, $Delta vec{D}V$ should go as $1/r^2$ to cancel the $r^2$ term. Moreover, the integral has to be zero, because if the surface goes to infinite and we suppose that the potential is zero at this point, we are not going to have any contribution from this integral.

About the polarization of the dielectric, I'm pretty sure it is incluided in the derivation, and I think that it is incluided in the fact that you're using $vec{D}$. Remember that $vec{D} = varepsilon vec{E}+vec{P}$ where $vec{P}$ is the polarization density. If the medium is polarized, you have to include the polarization density vector in your calculus.

Answered by VictorSeven on December 29, 2020

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