We’re asked to find the magnetic field due to a current density, so this is a typical application of the Biot-Savart law which is given as equation (5.4) in Jackson’s text. µ0 I dl × x dB = (1) 4π |x|3 Using cylindrical coordinates with the point of interest √ at the origin, and z as the location of the contributing loop. We know that dl = adθ and |x| = a2 + z 2 , so the integral simplifies √ µ0 I adθ a2 + z 2 dB = (2) 4π (a2 + z 2 )3/2 We will first find the field due to a single loop. By symmetry, we know that the radial components of magnetic field will cancel, and only the z-component contributes, so dBz = sin arctan az dB = √a2a+z2 dB.
µ0 I a2 dθ dB = (3) 4π (a + z 2 )3/2 2
Integrating with respect to θ gives us the total magnetic field due to a single loop of current. µ0 I 2π a2 dθ a2 Z µ0 I Bz = 2 2 3/2 = (4) 4π 0 (a + z ) 2 (a + z 2 )3/2 2
Now we need to extend this result to account for contributions from all the loops instead of just one. We’ll integrate over z. The number of turns in a small length is N dz. µ0 N I a2 dBz−tot = dz (5) 2 (a + z 2 )3/2 2
We have to write the bounds of integration in terms of the angles θ1 and θ2 as Jackson defines them in the problem. Note that the negative in front of the lower bound is due to the fact that Jackson defines θ1 in a non-standard way. Z a µ0 N Ia2 tan θ2 dz Bz−tot = 2 + z 2 )3/2 (6) 2 a − tan θ (a 1 tanaθ µ0 N I z 2 = √ (7) 2 2 2 a + z − tanaθ 1 " # µ0 N I 1 1 = p +p (8) 2 tan2 θ2 + 1 tan2 θ1 + 1 " # µ0 N I cos θ2 cos θ2 = p +p (9) 2 sin2 θ2 + cos2 θ2 sin2 θ1 + cos2 θ1
µ0 N I Bz−tot = [cos θ2 + cos θ1 ] (10) 2 I really believe that this result is valid for any finite values of θ1 , θ2 , and N . I did not take any limits, although the result still holds in the limit as N L → ∞.
