Motion of a Charged Particle in Electric & Magnetic Fields

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the motion of a charged particle initially at rest in a constant uniform magnetic field when subjected to an oscillating electric field. Participants explore the equations governing this motion, considering factors such as damping and the orientation of the fields.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested, Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks to determine the equations of motion for a charged particle in a magnetic field influenced by an oscillating electric field.
  • Another participant suggests using the Lorentz force law and Newton's Second Law to derive the equations of motion, noting the need for direction specifications of the electric and magnetic fields.
  • A participant clarifies that the electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular and mentions the necessity of accounting for damping and resisting forces in the oscillatory motion.
  • This participant claims to have derived a solution indicating oscillatory motion in the xz plane, with a damping factor that leads to rest over time.
  • Another participant requests more detailed information about the problem to provide further assistance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing levels of understanding and approaches to the problem, with no consensus on the correctness of the derived equations or the overall solution. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the accuracy of the proposed solutions.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion, including unspecified directions of the electric and magnetic fields, and the need for a complete problem statement to clarify the scenario fully.

BishwasG
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I can't figure out what is the motion of a charged particle at rest at origin in a constant uniform magnetic field when it is subjected to an oscillating electric field starting t = 0. I need to find the equations representing its motion.
 
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Use the Lorentz force law\mathbf{F}=q(\mathbf{E}+\mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{B}) where F is the force, q is the charge, E is the electric field and B is the magnetic field. Then, you substitute the resulting expression into Newton's Second Law, \mathbf{F}=m\mathbf{a}. Then you just plug and chug and solve the resulting Diff. Eq. (You didn't specify the directions of the E and B fields, so I can't go any further. xP)

Hope that helps!
 


E and B fields are perpendicular. I have to take into account the damping and resisting forces for the oscillatory motion. I need to find a solution analytically for the motion of the particle in that case. I managed to do it, but I am not sure if I did it right. If the B field is along y-axis and E along x, I found an oscillatory motion in xz plane. The damping factor brings it to rest as time goes to infinity.
 


You should post the full details of the problem.
 

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