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I am reading Example 5.11 of Griffiths' EM book and stuck at some step.

Example 5.11 A spherical shell, of radius $R$, carrying a uniform surface charge $\sigma$, is set spinning at angular velocity $\omega$. Find the vector potential it produces at point $\mathbf{r}$ ( Fig. 5.45 )

Solution : It might seem natural to align the polar axis along $\mathbf{\omega}$, but in fact the integration is easier if we let $\mathbf{r}$ lie on the $z$ axis, so that $\mathbf{\omega}$ is tilted at an angle $\psi$. We may as well orient the $x$ axis so that $\omega$ lies in the $xz$ plane, as shown in Figure 5.46. According to Eq.5.66,

$$ \mathbf{A}(\mathbf{r}) = \frac{\mu_0}{4 \pi} \int \frac{\mathbf{K}(\mathbf{r}')}{\mathfrak{r}}da',$$

enter image description here

Then, through some argument, he deduced that

$$\mathbf{A}(\mathbf{r})= \begin{cases} \frac{\mu_0 R \sigma}{3} (\omega \times \mathbf{r} ), & \operatorname{for points inside the sphere}, \\ \frac{\mu_0 R^4 \sigma}{3r^3} (\omega \times \mathbf{r} ), & \operatorname{for points outside the sphere}. \end{cases} \tag{5.68}$$

Then he wrote that, " Having evaluated the integral, I revert to the “natural” coordinates of Fig.5.45, in which $\omega$ coincides with the $z$ axis and the point $\mathbf{r}$ is at $(r, \theta, \phi)$ " :

$$\mathbf{A}(r, \theta, \phi)= \begin{cases} \frac{\mu_0 R \omega \sigma}{3} r \sin \theta \hat{\mathbf{\phi}}, & ( r \le R), \\ \frac{\mu_0 R^4 \omega \sigma}{3} \frac{\sin \theta}{r^2} \hat{\mathbf{\phi}}, & ( r \ge R). \end{cases} \tag{5.69}$$

Q. Why does $(5.69)$ hold? What relationship exists between spherical coordinates of Fig.5.45 and that of Fig. 5.46 ? Can anyone help?

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The point of Griffiths's argument is that he's managed to write the vector potential solely in terms of the cross product $\vec{\omega} \times \vec{r}$. This expression is independent of the choice of coordinates; if it holds in one coordinate system, it holds in all of them. So he can then express components the components of $\vec{\omega} \times \vec{r}$ in terms of conventional spherical coordinates. And since (see the endpapers of Griffiths) $\hat{z} = \cos \theta \,\hat{r} - \sin \theta \, \hat{\theta}$, we have $$ \vec{\omega} \times \vec{r} = (\omega \hat{z}) \times (r \hat{r}) = \omega r ( \cos \theta \,\hat{r} - \sin \theta \, \hat{\theta}) \times \hat{r} = \omega r \sin \theta \hat{\phi}. $$

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  • $\begingroup$ Griffiths’ . . . $\endgroup$ Commented yesterday
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    $\begingroup$ @kangermu Which singular names ending in "s" form possessives with only a bare apostrophe? $\endgroup$ Commented yesterday
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    $\begingroup$ Say it out loud to yourself. Can’t really get it out with gagging. $\endgroup$ Commented yesterday
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    $\begingroup$ I have to agree with kangermu on this. I definitely don't say "Griffiths-ez." While Strunk and White might insist that "Charles's" is better than "Charles'," I don't think they ever considered the horror of a "Griffiths's" $\endgroup$ Commented yesterday
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you. Invariance of expression $\vec{\omega} \times \vec{r}$ from the choice of coordinates is key point. $\endgroup$ Commented yesterday

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