Show that the (ordinary) acceleration of a particle of mass m and charge q, moving at velocity u under the influence of electromagnetic fields E and B, is given by

a=qm1u2/c2[E+u×B-1c2uuE]

[Hint: Use Eq. 12.74.]

Short Answer

Expert verified

The ordinary acceleration of a particle of mass m and charge q is

a=qm1-u2c2E+u×B-uu·Ec2

Step by step solution

01

Expression for the force acting on a particle under the influence of an electromagnetic field:

Write the expression for the force acting on a particle under the influence of an electromagnetic fields.

F=m1-u2c2[a+uu×ac2u2]

.............(1)

Here, a is the ordinary acceleration.

02

Prove that :

It is known that:

F=qE+u×B

Substitute qE+u×Bfor Fin equation (1).

qE+u×B=m1-u2c2a+uu·ac2-u2a+uu·ac2-u2=qm1-u2c2E+u×B …… (2)

Take the dot product ofuon L.H.S of equation (2).

u·a+uu·ac2-u2=u.a+u2u·ac2-u2=u.ac2-u.au2+u2u.ac2-u2=u.ac2c2-u2=u.a1-u2c2

Similarly, take the dot product ofuon R.H.S of equation (2).

qm1-u2c2E+u×B=qm1-u2c2u.E+u.u×B=qm1-u2c2u.E

From equation (2).

u.a1-u2c2=qm1-u2c2u.Euu.ac2-u2=qm1-u2c2uu.Ec2

Substitute qm1-u2c2uu.Ec2for uu.ac2-u2in equation (2).

role="math" localid="1654672556955" a+qm1-u2c2uu.Ec2=qm1-u2c2E+u×B

a=qm1-u2c2E=u×B-uu.Ec2

Therefore, the ordinary acceleration of a particle of mass m and charge q is

a=qm1-u2c2E=u×B-uu.Ec2

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In the past, most experiments in particle physics involved stationary targets: one particle (usually a proton or an electron) was accelerated to a high energy E, and collided with a target particle at rest (Fig. 12.29a). Far higher relative energies are obtainable (with the same accelerator) if you accelerate both particles to energy E, and fire them at each other (Fig. 12.29b). Classically, the energy E¯of one particle, relative to the other, is just 4E(why?) . . . not much of a gain (only a factor of 4). But relativistically the gain can be enormous. Assuming the two particles have the same mass, m, show that

E=2E2mc2=mc2 (12.58)

FIGURE 12.29

Suppose you use protons (mc2=1GeV)with E=30GeV. What Edo you get? What multiple of E does this amount to? (1GeV=109electronvolts)[Because of this relativistic enhancement, most modern elementary particle experiments involve colliding beams, instead of fixed targets.]

The coordinates of event Aare (xA,0,0),tA, and the coordinates of event B are(xB,0,0),tA. Assuming the displacement between them is spacelike, find the velocity of the system in which they are simultaneous.

(a) What’s the percent error introduced when you use Galileo’s rule, instead of Einstein’s, withvAB=5mi/handvBC=60mi/hand?

(b) Suppose you could run at half the speed of light down the corridor of a train going three-quarters the speed of light. What would your speed be relative to the ground?

(c) Prove, using Eq. 12.3, that ifvAB<candvBC<cthenvAC<cInterpret this result.


Check Eq. 12.29, using Eq. 12.27. [This only proves the invariance of the scalar product for transformations along the x direction. But the scalar product is also invariant under rotations, since the first term is not affected at all, and the last three constitute the three-dimensional dot product a-b . By a suitable rotation, the x direction can be aimed any way you please, so the four-dimensional scalar product is actually invariant under arbitrary Lorentz transformations.]


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