| Abstract: | The motion of a charged particle in spatially homogeneous electric and magnetic fields is calculated for the case of the magnetic field to have a constant direction and its intensity to vary with an arbitrary power of time. The special case of a linearly increasing magnetic field is treated in detail taking into account a friction force proportional to the particle velocity. Generally, the equations of motion are reduced to a single differential equation of second order which is integrated exactly. The higher transcendental functions appearing in the solution are then approximated by elementary functions. Thus asymptotic approximative equations of a very simple form are obtained for position, velocity, kinetic energy and magnetic moment of the particle. The dependence of the particle orbit on the initial values of position and velocity and on the properties of the magnetic field is studied, and it is shown, how the particle motion is a helical motion superposed by a drift. The influence of the electric field induced by the time dependent magnetic field on the particle motion is considered in detail. For an additional electric field being present a drift formula is derived which is a generalization of the well-known ?? × ?? 93 drift for constant fields. |
