April 8, 2022 Prof. Dr. A.

Al-Khateeb1
Plasma Physics (Phys 446) LATEX
Second Semester 2021/2022
Set Nr.D

1. A particle of mass m and charge q moves under the influence of electric and magnetic fields such that
d~υ ~ + q~υ × B
~
m = qE (1)
dt
(a) use equation (1) to show that
 
d 1 ~
m~υ 2 = q~υ · E (2)
dt 2

(b) In general the electric field is given by E ~ − ∂ A~ . If E

~ = −∇φ ~ is a static field such that E
~ = −∇φ,
~ show
∂t
that equation (2) can be written as
 
d 1 2
m~υ + qφ = 0 (3)
dt 2
mv 2
− 2k 0
(c) If φ0 = 0 and the initial distribution is Maxwellian such that f0 (v0 ) = A e BT , find the distribution at
any time t.
2. A particle of mass m and charge q is moving in the with a constant velocity ~υ = υ0y ̂ + υ0z k̂. Thereafter the
particle enters a region of a uniform magnetic field given by
~ = B0 k̂ ,
B
Find the velocity ~v (t), the position vector ~r(t), and the trajectory of this particle.
E0
3. A particle of mass m and charge q is moving in the with a constant velocity ~υ = B0 ı̂. Thereafter the particle
enters a region of a electrostatic electric and magnetic fields given by
~ = E0 ̂ ,
E ~ = B0 k̂ ,
B
Find the velocity ~v (t), the position vector ~r(t), and the trajectory of this particle.
4. A particle of mass m and charge q is moving in the y-direction with a constant velocity υ0 ̂. Thereafter the
particle enters a region of uniform electric an magnetic fields given by
~ = B0 k̂ ,
B ~ = E0 ı̂
E
Find the velocity ~v (t), the position vector ~r(t), and the trajectory of this particle.
5. A particle of charge q and mass m is moving in electric and magnetic fields such that
~ 0 = E0 ̂ ,
E ~ = B0 k̂
,B
where E0 and B0 are constants. For ~υ (t = 0) = υ0 ĵ,
(a) find the velocity components vx (t), vy (t) and vz (t), and its time average over one cyclotron rotation,
1 τc
Z
2π
< f (t) >τc = f (t) dt , τc =
τc 0 ωc
(b) find the drift velocity,
(c) find x(t), y(t) and z(t).
1 Dept. of Physics, YU, Irbid, Jordan

1
 April 8, 2022 Prof. Dr. A. Al-Khateeb2
Plasma Physics (Phys 446) LATEX
Second Semester 2021/2022

6. Given the equation of motion of a single particle,

d~υ (t)
m = qE0 ı̂ − mg ̂ + qB0 ~υ (t) × k̂ (4)
dt
(a) find the velocity components υx (t), υy (t) and υz (t) that satisfy the following initial conditions

υx (0) = 0 , υy (0) = 0 , υz (0) = υ0z

~D without directly solving eq. (4),

(b) find the drift velocity V
d 1 2


(c) use eq.(4) to find an expression for the power (t)
˙ = dt 2 mυ (t) ,
(d) find < (t) >τc ; the time averaged power over one cyclotron rotation. Explain your result.

7. A particle of charge q and mass m is moving in electric and magnetic fields such that
~ 0 = E0 e−αt ̂ ,
E ~ = B0 ı̂ ,
B ~v (0) = v0 ı̂

where α is a constant. Solve the following equation of motion and then find the drift velocity,

d~υ (t)
m = qE0 e−αt ̂ + q~υ (t) × B0 î . (5)
dt

8. Relativistic Single Particle Motion A force F~ acts on a particle of rest mass m0 . Tacking into consider-
ation that its motion is relativistic, show that the acceleration is given by the following expression,

~ β~
F~ − (F~ · β) d~v
~a = , ~a = (6)
γm0 dt
1 1
γ=q =p (7)
1 − ~vc · ~vc 1 − β2

where β = v/c. According to equation (6), the particle has a mass which is direction dependent

mlong. = γ 3 m0 , mtransv. = γm0 (8)

where mlong. and mtransv. are known as the longitudinal and transverse masses, respectively.

(a) derive Eq. (6),

(b) discuss the result obtained above.

2 Dept. of Physics, YU, Irbid, Jordan

2
 April 8, 2022 Prof. Dr. A. Al-Khateeb3
Plasma Physics (Phys 446) LATEX
Second Semester 2021/2022

9. Given the one dimensional equation of motion

dvx d2 x
Fx = m =m 2 (9)
dt dt
(a) show that equation (9) is invariant under time reversal (t → −t and x → x)
(b) show that equation (9) is invariant under space inversion ( x → −x and t → t).
10. Equations of classical dynamics are Time Reversal and Deterministic. Explain these properties.

11. What do we mean by equilibrium statistical physics ?

12. What are the main differences between a kinetic equation for the time change of a distribution function and the
dynamical equations for the average quantities such as density, pressure and average velocity ?
13. What do we mean by thermodynamical entropy ?

14. S = kB ln Ω is known as statistical entropy,

(a) What are the conditions that S = kB ln Ω must satisfy in order to be equivalent to the thermodynamic
entropy ?
(b) Is it justified to calculate the entropy of a non-equilibrium physical system using S = kB ln Ω and why ?

15. Magnetic Moment I Z

I 1
µ
~= ~r × d~~` ≡ I A
~, µ
~= ~ r)d3 r
~r × J(~
2 c 2 V

(a) Find µ for J~ = ρ~v for a system of point charges

~ and µ
(b) Find L ~ for a point charge moving in the xy-plane counterclockwise,
~ and µ
(c) Find L ~ for a point charge moving in the xy-plane clockwise
16. Drift Motion:
~ ~
~D = 1 F × B ,
V for F~ = constant (10)
q B~ ·B
~
d~v ~ + q~v × B~
m = qE (11)
dt
d~v ~
m = m~g + q~v × B (12)
dt
d~v ~ − m ~v = q E ~ − νc m~v
m = qE (13)
dt ∆t

3 Dept. of Physics, YU, Irbid, Jordan