Magnetic field from free electrons

[Danyon]

Does a beam of free electrons create a magnetic field like that of a wire with current flowing through?

 

[ZapperZ]

Does a beam of free electrons create a magnetic field like that of a wire with current flowing through?

Yes. It is one way that we detect them when they pass through a section of a particle accelerator (i.e. using a device such as an ICT).

Zz.

 

[tech99]

Yes. It is one way that we detect them when they pass through a section of a particle accelerator (i.e. using a device such as an ICT).

Zz.

And could you say what shape the magnetic field of one traveling electro would take?

Yes. It is one way that we detect them when they pass through a section of a particle accelerator (i.e. using a device such as an ICT).

Zz.

And could you tell me the shape of the magnetic field of one traveling electron please? Is it a spherical shape?

 

[Chandra Prayaga]

That is a little more difficult to describe without using the equation for the magnetic field, but let me try. The field reduces with distance from the electron as 1/r^2. But there is also an angular dependence. For example, the field is zero directly in line with the velocity of the electron. If you draw any circle perpendicular to the velocity, with its center on the line of the velocity, the magnetic field is tangential to the circle at every point. So it is certainly not spherically symmetric. For that matter, even the electric field of a moving electron is not spherically symmetric.

 

[jtbell]

And could you tell me the shape of the magnetic field of one traveling electron please?

A Google search for "magnetic field of a point charge with constant velocity" led me to a bunch of previous threads here on PF, including this post I made a few years ago:

Magnetic field of charge moving at constant velocity