Calculating the Laplace transform of a Bessel function

In summary, the student is stuck trying to solve an equation for the Laplace transform of the Bessel function, J_0. They say that the integral is not possible by elementary means and that the problem might be more complicated than they think because of the complex exponential. They suggest rewriting the Laplace transform as a series and solving the x integral first. They mention that a length of the form ##e^{-x s}## tends to zero if x tends to infinity, but only if s is a positive (real) number.
  • #1
fluidistic
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Homework Statement


Hi guys! I'm basically stuck at "starting" (ouch!) on the following problem:
Using the integral representation of the Bessel function [itex]J_0 (x)=\frac{1}{\pi} \int _0 ^\pi \cos ( x\sin \theta ) d \theta[/itex], find its Laplace transform.


Homework Equations


[itex]\mathbb{L} [f(x)]=\int _0 ^{\infty} e^{-sx} f(x)dx[/itex].


The Attempt at a Solution


So I simply applied the formula above and could not solve the integral in theta.
Namely [itex]\mathbb{L} [J_0 (x)]=\frac{1}{\pi} \int _0^{\infty} e^{-sx} \int _0 ^ \pi \cos (x \sin \theta ))d\theta dx[/itex].
My only idea is to evaluate the theta integral first, treating x as a constant. So I've something of the form [itex]\int \cos (k \sin \theta ))d\theta[/itex] to calculate. I am not sure this is the way to go. And if it is, I don't have any idea on how to evaluate the integral.
Any idea is welcome.
 
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  • #2
I don't believe that integral is possible by elementary means... I think you can only approximate it.
 
  • #3
Zondrina said:
I don't believe that integral is possible by elementary means... I think you can only approximate it.

Ok thanks. This probably mean there's a trick I'm missing to solve the problem.
 
  • #4
I might be mistaken here, but try expressing it as a series.
 
  • #5
Zondrina said:
I might be mistaken here, but try expressing it as a series.

Hmm I don't think that's the way to go. Otherwise they wouldn't have stated "Using the integral representation..."
Thanks for the help by the way.
 
  • #6
Bessel functions cannot simply be integrated.
Otherwise all the mathematical toolkits around wouldn't specifically include them.

A typical first step would be to reverse the order of integration.
And to replace ##\cos u = \frac 1 2(e^{iu} + e^{-iu})##.
Then you can integrate with respect to x.
 
  • #7
I like Serena said:
Bessel functions cannot simply be integrated.
Otherwise all the mathematical toolkits around wouldn't specifically include them.

A typical first step would be to reverse the order of integration.
And to replace ##\cos u = \frac 1 2(e^{iu} + e^{-iu})##.
Then you can integrate with respect to x.
Ok thanks for the help. But I don't see how this simplify things. If I understand you well, you suggest to rewrite the Laplace transform as [itex]\frac{1}{\pi} \int _0^\pi \int _0 ^\infty e^{-sx} \cdot \frac{1}{2} (e^{i x \sin \theta } - e^{-i x \sin \theta }) dx d\theta[/itex]. Then solve the x integral first. But the introduction of the complex exponential does not look nice to me. I'm sure I'm missing something.
 
  • #8
If you write it nice it does. I'll do the first one:

[tex]\int_0^{\pi} \int_0^{\infty}e^{-sx}e^{ix\sin(\theta)}dxd\theta[/tex]
[tex]\int_0^{\pi} \int_0^{\infty}e^{x(i\sin(\theta)-s)}dxd\theta[/tex]
[tex]\int_0^{\pi} \frac{1}{i\sin(\theta)-s} e^{x(i\sin(\theta)-s)}\biggr|_0^{\infty} d\theta[/tex]

Now, decide what restrictions must be placed on [itex]s[/itex] to make that inner expression well-behaved, then proceed.
 
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  • #9
jackmell said:
If you write it nice it does. I'll do the first one:

[tex]\int_0^{\pi} \int_0^{\infty}e^{-sx}e^{ix\sin(\theta)}dxd\theta[/tex]
[tex]\int_0^{\pi} \int_0^{\infty}e^{x(i\sin(\theta)-s)}dxd\theta[/tex]
[tex]\int_0^{\pi} \frac{1}{i\sin(\theta)-s} e^{x(i\sin(\theta)-s)}\biggr|_0^{\infty} d\theta[/tex]

Now, decide what restrictions must be placed on [itex]s[/itex] to make that inner expression well-behaved, then proceed.
Thanks for the help. But I still don't see it.
What troubles me is the imaginary part in the exponential.
One restriction over s is that [itex]s\neq i \sin \theta[/itex]. I don't really see what could be the other restriction. I guess it has to see with the convergence of the integral but that imaginary unit boggles me.

Edit: for example I know that if [itex]s=i \sin (\theta ) +ax[/itex] with a>0 then the integral would be a Gaussian and would converge but that's a very special case.
 
  • #10
fluidistic said:
Thanks for the help. But I still don't see it.
What troubles me is the imaginary part in the exponential.
One restriction over s is that [itex]s\neq i \sin \theta[/itex]. I don't really see what could be the other restriction. I guess it has to see with the convergence of the integral but that imaginary unit boggles me.

Compare the exponential to the polar representation of an imaginary number (and split it like that).
$$z=r e^{i \phi}$$
The imaginary part of the exponent identifies the angle of the imaginary number.
The real part identifies the length.

Note that a length of the form ##e^{-x s}## tends to zero if x tends to infinity.
But only if s is a positive (real) number.

In other words, just fill in ##\infty## respectively 0 for x.
 
  • #11
I like Serena said:
Compare the exponential to the polar representation of an imaginary number (and split it like that).
$$z=r e^{i \phi}$$
The imaginary part of the exponent identifies the angle of the imaginary number.
The real part identifies the length.

Note that a length of the form ##e^{-x s}## tends to zero if x tends to infinity.
But only if s is a positive (real) number.

In other words, just fill in ##\infty## respectively 0 for x.
I see. Despite knowing the representation of a complex number under this form, I did not notice it here. :frown:
[itex]\mathbb{L} [J_0 (x)]=\frac{1}{2\pi}\int _0 ^\pi \underbrace{ \int _0^\infty e^{-sx}(e^{-ix \sin \theta } +e^{ix \sin \theta })dx } _I d\theta [/itex].
Where [itex]I=\left ( -\frac{1}{s+i\sin \theta } \right ) e^{-xs}e^{ix\sin \theta } \big | _{x=0} ^{x=\infty } + \left ( \frac{1}{i \sin ( \theta ) -s } \right ) e^{-xs} e^{-ix \sin \theta } \big | _{x=0}^{x=\infty }[/itex].
So for s>0, [itex]I=\frac{1}{s+i \sin \theta } + \frac{1}{s-i \sin \theta }=\frac{2s}{s^2+ \sin ^2 (\theta )}[/itex].
Thus [itex]\mathbb{L} [J_0 (x)]= \frac{1}{\pi s} \int _0 ^\infty \frac{d \theta }{1+ \left ( \frac{\sin \theta }{s}\right ) ^2}[/itex]. Hmm once again I'm stuck on an integral. I don't see any "u substitution" that would work. It seems like it's related to the arctangent function.
I might have messed up some algebra somewhere, I'm going to recheck.
 
  • #12
That last integral should go from 0 to pi. So we need to evaluate:

[tex]\frac{1}{\pi} \int_0^{\pi} \frac{s}{s^2+\sin^2(t)}dt[/tex]

Whenever you have a rational expression of sin or cos, can make the substitution [itex]z=\tan(t/2)[/itex]. Then:

[tex]\sin(t)=\frac{2z}{1+z^2}[/tex]

[tex]dt=\frac{2}{1+z^2}dz[/tex]

Now it's a messy rational expression in z. Might be a good candidate for the Residue Theorem. Keep in mind partial fractions is an indirect application of the Residue Theorem. That is, the coefficients of the partial fraction decomposition are the residues.
 
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  • #13
Alternatively, you can look up difficult integrals in a table (or use a mathematical program).
The following table on wiki is applicable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...e_integrals_involving_trigonometric_functions

The relevant equation is:
$$\int_0^{2\pi} \frac{dx}{a+b\cos x}=\frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{a^2-b^2}}$$
To use this, you'll have to convert ##\sin^2 t## to ##\cos 2t## and you're good to go.

If nothing else, it helps to verify long calculations (that tend to contain a couple of mistakes for some reason).
 

Related to Calculating the Laplace transform of a Bessel function

1. What is a Bessel function?

A Bessel function is a special mathematical function that arises in many different areas of physics and engineering, including heat transfer, acoustics, and electromagnetic theory. It is named after the German mathematician Friedrich Bessel.

2. What is the Laplace transform?

The Laplace transform is a mathematical operation that transforms a function of time into a function of complex frequency. It is often used in engineering and physics to solve differential equations and analyze dynamic systems.

3. Why is the Laplace transform useful for calculating Bessel functions?

The Laplace transform is useful for calculating Bessel functions because it allows us to convert a differential equation involving Bessel functions into a simpler algebraic equation, which can then be solved using standard techniques.

4. What is the process for calculating the Laplace transform of a Bessel function?

The process for calculating the Laplace transform of a Bessel function involves first expressing the Bessel function in terms of an integral, then using properties of the Laplace transform and integration by parts to simplify the expression. Finally, the inverse Laplace transform is applied to obtain the final result.

5. Can the Laplace transform be used for all types of Bessel functions?

Yes, the Laplace transform can be used for all types of Bessel functions, including the regular and modified Bessel functions of the first and second kind. However, the specific method for calculating the transform may vary depending on the type of Bessel function being considered.

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