Internal and external harmonics in bi-cyclide coordinates

Abstract

The Laplace equation in three dimensional Euclidean space is $R$-separable in bi-cyclide coordinates leading to harmonic functions expressed in terms of Lam\'e-Wangerin functions called internal and external bi-cyclide harmonics. An expansion for the fundamental solution of Laplace's equation in products of internal and external bi-cyclide harmonics is derived. In limiting cases this expansion reduces to known expansion in bi-spherical and prolate spheroidal coordinates.