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Re: Question:Polar Field Plot

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg21664] Re: [mg21589] Question:Polar Field Plot
  • From: "ZEE MEANT NG" <Zee.Ng-1 at stud.umist.ac.uk>
  • Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 04:00:15 -0500 (EST)
  • Reply-to: mchpizn2 at stud.umist.ac.uk
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Dear Hartmut,

I have tried the solution which you have given  for question 2 
using Mathematica 4.  The undesired output is not suppressed. On the 
other hand, the plot which is exactly the same as the one earlier 
(In[6]) was produced.
I would be very helpful if you could help me in solving this problem.

regards, zee meant

ZEE MEANT NG schrieb:
> 
> I am trying to plot a 2D vector field. Equations which i have are in
> polar form ie r and theta.
> r^2= x^2+y^2
> Er=f(r,Theta)
> Ep=g(r,Theta)
> 
> I have changed them to cartesian form ie Ex, Ey .
> and put Theta= arctan[y/x]
> My plot covers the region {x,-1,1} and {y-1,1}
> 
> Question 1:
> The values of theta produced by mathematica are
> -90<Theta<90 degree but what i required is theta which gives the
> value from 0 to 360 degree.
> I have used the if statement as follows but it does not work.
> If[x >= 0, [Theta] = ArcTan[y/x], [Theta] = ArcTan[y/x] + \[Pi]];
> PlotVectorField[{Ex1, Ey1},  {x, - R, R},
>  {y, - R, R }]
> 
> Question 2:
> Using the built-in function to plot the vector field, it plots all
> the field for the entire region. How do i set some constraints so
> that it only plots at the desired region (eg. plot where x^2+y^2 < R)
> ?
> 
> I am having the same problem in the contour plot as well.

hi Zee,

To question 1: simply use ArcTan[x,y] which regards the quandrant where
{x,y} lies.

To question 2: a simple method would be to just suppress unwanted
output, e.g.:

In[1]:= << Graphics`PlotField`

In[6]:= PlotVectorField[{-y, x},
             {x, -1, 1}, {y, -1, 1}]

and then

In[9]:= 
Show[%6 /. Arrow[{x_, y_}, __] /; x^2 + y^2 > 1.1 -> Sequence[] ]

look, that I didn't write x^2 + y^2 > 1 because this gives a somewhat
ugly appearance (on obvious grounds as you will see)

Of course one could try to write a function  PlotSphericalVectorField
but it might be difficult to get the sampling points right at nearly
constant density (perhaps with the exclusion of a hexgonal pattern, or
any of Escher's for that matter).

kind regards, Hartmut
Zee Menat NG


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