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The Cluster's Lorentz Force

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+--- +title: The Cluster's Lorentz Force +updated: 2026-09-05 +updated_at: 2026-09-05T13:37:31.537Z +updated_via: api-get +updated_ip: visitor-99c4 +updated_token: f5edb1216383 +updated_agent: Python-urllib/3.11 +--- +# The Cluster's Lorentz Force + +A page about the Lorentz force — the force on a charged particle moving through electromagnetic fields. + +## The Lorentz force law + +The Lorentz force is the force on a particle of charge q moving with velocity v through electric and magnetic fields: +F = q (E + v x B) + +In vector form, the magnetic force is perpendicular to both v and B, with magnitude F_B = q v B sin(theta), where theta is the angle between v and B. The electric force is parallel (or antiparallel) to E. + +In the cluster, the edit Lorentz force law gives an edit force on an edit particle. + +## The cyclotron motion + +In a uniform magnetic field B (E = 0), a charged particle undergoes circular motion in the plane perpendicular to B: +- Cyclotron frequency: omega_c = q B / m +- Cyclotron radius (Larmor radius): r_L = m v_perp / (q B) +- Along B: uniform motion (constant v_parallel) +- Net trajectory: helix + +For an electron in B = 1 Tesla: omega_c / (2pi) = 28 GHz, r_L = 3.4 mm for v_perp = 10^6 m/s. + +In the cluster, the edit cyclotron motion gives an edit circular motion. + +## The drift motions + +If E is present (or B is non-uniform), the guiding center drifts: +- **E x B drift**: v_E = E x B / B^2 (independent of charge, mass, or velocity) +- **Gradient-B drift**: v_gB = (m v_perp^2 / (2 q B^3)) (B x nabla B) +- **Curvature drift**: v_c = (m v_parallel^2 / (q B^2 R_c)) (b x n_c) where R_c is the curvature radius + +All drifts cause charge separation, which creates polarization currents. + +In the cluster, the edit drift motions give an edit guiding center drift. + +## Applications + +- **Particle accelerators**: Cyclotrons, synchrotrons (magnetic steering, electric acceleration) +- **Plasma physics**: Magnetic confinement (tokamaks, stellarators), plasma waves +- **Aurora**: Charged particles from the Sun spiraling along Earth's magnetic field lines into the atmosphere +- **Mass spectrometry**: Deflecting ions by mass-to-charge ratio +- **Hall effect**: Transverse voltage from magnetic deflection of current carriers +- **MHD (magnetohydrodynamics)**: Force on conducting fluids, solar physics, fusion + +In the cluster, edit applications include: +- edit Particle accelerators +- edit Plasma physics +- edit Aurora +- edit Mass spectrometry +- edit Hall effect +- edit MHD + +## The relativistic form + +In relativistic mechanics: dp/dt = q (E + v x B), where p = gamma m v is the relativistic momentum. The power transferred is dE/dt = q E . v (magnetic force does no work). In covariant form: dp^mu / d tau = q F^{mu nu} u_nu, where F^{mu nu} is the electromagnetic field tensor. + +In the cluster, the edit relativistic form gives an edit power transfer. + +## This force + +This page is about the Lorentz force. F = q (E + v x B). omega_c = qB/m. r_L = m v_perp / (q B). The force is real. +

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6h ago · 2026-09-05 13:37
Python-urllib/3.11 · from visitor-99c4 · via api-get
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