Cycloid motion of charged particle in electromagnetic field

249 Views Asked by At

The question is from Schaum's Theoretical Mechanics.

The electric field is given by $\underline E=E\hat k$

The magnetic field is given by $\underline B=-B\hat j$

Prove that the motion of a charged particle of charge $q$ and mass $m$ that starts from rest at the origin is given by

$x=b(\theta-\sin \theta), z=b(1-\cos \theta)$

$\theta=\frac{qBt}{m}, b=\frac{mE}{qB^2}$


My attempt:

The Lorentz force is given by

$\underline F=q(\underline E+\underline v\times\underline B)$

$\to\underline F=-qBv_3\hat i+q(E-Bv_1)\hat k$

Let $\underline v=v_1 \hat i+v_2\hat j+v_3\hat k$, where $\frac{dx}{dt}=v_1, \frac{dy}{dt}=v_2, \frac{dz}{dt}=v_3$

$\to\frac{dv_1}{dt}=-\frac{qBv_3}{m}$ equation 1

$\frac{dv_3}{dt}=\frac{q}{m}(E-Bv_1)$ equation 2

$\to \frac{dv_3}{dv_1}=\frac{Bv_1-E}{Bv_3}$

$\to Bv_3dv_3=(Bv_1-E)dv_1$

$\to \frac{1}{2}Bv_3^2=\frac{1}{2}Bv_1^2-Ev_1$

$\to v_3=\sqrt (v_1^2-\frac{2E}{B}v_1)$

Then, substituting the right hand side for $v_3$ into equation 2,

$\frac{Bv_1-E}{B\sqrt(v_1^2-\frac{2E}{B}v_1)}\frac{dv_1}{dt}=\frac{q}{m}(E-Bv_1)$

$\to \int \frac{1}{\sqrt(v_1^2-\frac{2E}{B}v_1)}dv_1=\int -\frac{qB}{m}dt$

$\to \int \frac{1}{\sqrt((v_1-\frac{E}{B})^2-\frac{E^2}{B^2})}dv_1=-\frac{qB}{m}t+c$

Let $v_1-\frac{E}{B}=\frac{E}{B}\sec \theta$

$\int \sec \theta d\theta= -\frac{qB}{m}t+c$

$\ln(\sec \theta+\tan \theta)=-\frac{qB}{m}t+c$

$\ln(\frac{Bv_1-E+\sqrt(B^2v_1^2-2BEv_1)}{E})=-\frac{qB}{m}t+c$

When $t=0, v_1=0$, so $c=\ln(-1)$. Then, the equation becomes

$\ln(\frac{Bv_1-E+\sqrt(B^2v_1^2-2BEv_1)}{E})=-\frac{qB}{m}t+\ln(-1)$

$\to \ln(\frac{E-Bv_1-\sqrt(B^2v_1^2-2BEv_1)}{E})=-\frac{qB}{m}t$

$\to E-Bv_1-\sqrt(B^2v_1^2-2BEv_1)=Ee^\frac{-qBt}{m}$

$B^2v_1^2-2BEv_1=(Bv_1-E(1-e^\frac{-qBt}{m}))^2$

$B^2v_1^2-2BEv_1=B^2v_1^2-2BEv_1+2BEv_1e^\frac{-qBt}{m}+E^2(1-e^\frac{-qBt}{m})^2$

$\to 2BEe^\frac{-qBt}{m}v_1=-E^2(1-e^\frac{-qBt}{m})^2$

$\to v_1=\frac{-E^2(1-e^\frac{-qBt}{m})^2}{2BEe^\frac{-qBt}{m}}$

But from this, I obtain that

$x=b\theta-b(\frac{e^\theta-e^{-\theta}}{2})$

I would be extremely grateful if someone could spot my mistake. I think I need some $i$'s somewhere to obtain $x=b\theta-b\sin \theta$, but I don't know where.

Thank you.