Homework 2: Damped, Driven Pendulum

Consider a plane pendulum with an iron bob of mass m suspended from a pivot by a
massless rigid (non-magnetizing) rod of length l in a time-dependent magnetic field so
that the pendulum bob is driven, being alternatingly attracted to the left or right. We
use the generalized coordinate , the angle the pendulum makes with the vertical [for
an xz cartesian coordinate system with its origin at the pendulum pivot, x = l sin(q/l ),
z = l cos(q/l ), where q represents an arc length]. In the small angle approximation,
the Lagrangianp
(without the magnetic field) is that of a simple harmonic oscillator with
frequency = g/l.
1. There will inevitably be some friction, e.g. from the pivot. Incorporate a model frictional generalized force Fd = (ml 2 /Q) into the Euler-Lagrange equation for
and determine the equation of motion. Solve the equation of motion for the under
damped
p SHO (Q > 1/2) in terms of (0) and (0) [use the shorthands = /2Q, and
0 = 4Q2 1 to describe the oscillation frequency, here and from now on].
2. At a given point in time t0 the underdamped pendulum has velocity (t0 ) and position (t0 ), when the pendulum bob is struck sharply with a hammer. Modelling the
effect of this blow with an impulsive potential VI (t) = Kl(t t0 ), derive the corresponding generalized force and determine the values of and immediately after
the hammer is applied.
3. If we define G (t t0 ) = (t)ml/K, and consider the underdamped pendulum to be
at rest (i.e., = 0, = 0) prior to being struck sharply by the hammer, what are the
values of G (t t0 ) when t t0 0, and when t t0 0?
4. We now include the effect of the time-dependent magnetic field on the pendulum
bob, modelled as a sinusoidal driving potential VD (t) = F0 l sin(0 t) applied from
t = 0. Using a Greens function technique, determine an integral expression for
(t) for the driven underdamped pendulum. Solve the integral [expanding the sine
terms, i.e., using sin = ei /2i + complex conjugate] and show the evolution of (t)
to be given by q(t) = qs (t) + qt (t), where qs (t) and qt (t) represent steady state and
transient solutions respectively.