Behavior of charged particles in a speed selector

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
3 replies · 1K views
greg_rack
Gold Member
Messages
361
Reaction score
79
speed_s.jpg
Considering the device above, which uses electric and magnetic fields placed properly to avoid charged moving particles with velocities different from the ratio ##\frac{E}{B}## to exit, getting deflected upwards or downwards. All that is easily demonstrable by equalling the forces acting on the particle: ##qE=qvB##.
Now, my question is: what happens to particles with ##v\neq \frac{E}{B}##?
What I found online if ##v>\frac{E}{B}## Lorentz's force will be greater(since it's proportional to speed) than the electric one, so the particle will get deflected upwards; otherwise, if ##v<\frac{E}{B}##, the electric force will "win" so the particle will move downwards... but this explanation doesn't satisfy me:
what if the electric field is much greater than the magnetic one, and even if ##v>\frac{E}{B}##, ##E>vB## and vice-versa?
Shouldn't we know the magnitude of both fields to predict the behavior of particles with ##v\neq \frac{E}{B}##?
 
on Phys.org
Hello.
Lorentz force including electric field makes the charged particle move as
[tex]\mathbf{F}=q(\mathbf{E}+\mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{B})=\frac{d \mathbf{p}}{dt}[/tex]
we should solve this equation of motion to know its motion. By solving the equation we know its velocity is cyclic in time with drifting speed of ##\frac{E}{B}## in time average. The trajectories are trochoids.

So your first v=E/B case is the special setting that this time average speed is an actual speed and the trajectory is a line.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: greg_rack
Vanadium 50 said:
If v > E/B, then E is less than vB. It cannot then be greater than vB.
Right, that's what I was missing... thanks for the hint!