Motion through a velocity selector analyzed using a galilean transformation
Doug Bradley-Hutchison · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · 2014
The motion of a charged particle through a velocity selector is an example of a general class of motions through crossed electric and magnetic fields. In this paper particular attention is paid to the relationship between observables of this type of motion measured in two reference frames connected through a galilean transformation: the lab frame and a frame traveling at speed E/B relative to the lab (“selector frame”). The electromagnetic field only has a magnetic component in the selector frame, which makes solution of the equations of motion easier, and also affects conserved quantities such as energy and angular momentum. The electric field in this context breaks the rotational symmetry in one frame affecting angular momentum conservation consistent with Noether’s theorem. Analyzing the motions in this manner is a way to introduce concepts from relativity into discussions of electromagnetism.