Constants of motion for the planar orbit of a charged particle in a static and uniform magnetic field: the magnetic Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector

• Published in: European journal of physics Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 55018 - 8
• Main Authors: Velasco-Martínez, D, Ibarra-Sierra, V G, Sandoval-Santana, J C, Kunold, A, Cardoso, J L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.09.2014
• Subjects: Angular momentum; charge motion; Charged particles; Classical mechanics; Constants; Kepler orbit; Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector; magnetic field; Magnetic fields; Mathematical analysis; Orbits; Translations; Vectors (mathematics)
• ISSN: 0143-0807; 1361-6404
• DOI: 10.1088/0143-0807/35/5/055018

In this paper we introduce an alternative approach to studying the motion of a planar charged particle subject to a static uniform magnetic field. It is well known that an electric charge under a uniform magnetic field has a planar motion if its initial velocity is perpendicular to the magnetic field. Although some constants of motion (CsM), as the energy and the angular momentum, have been widely discussed for this system, others have been neglected. We find that the angular momentum, the generator of the magnetic translations and the magnetic Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector are CsM for this particular system. We show also that these three quantities form an orthogonal basis of vectors. The present work addresses many aspects of the motion of a charged particle in a magnetic field that should be useful for students and tutors of the classical mechanics courses at the senior undergraduate level.