IPhO 1996 · Theory problem 2

Electrons between coaxial cylinders in a magnetic field (magnetic cut-off)

The space between a pair of coaxial cylindrical conductors is evacuated. The radius of the inner cylinder is \(a\), and the inner radius of the outer cylinder is \(b\), as shown in the figure below. The outer cylinder, called the anode, may be given a positive potential \(V\) relative to the inner cylinder. A static homogeneous magnetic field \(\vec B\) parallel to the cylinder axis, directed out of the plane of the figure, is also present. Induced charges in the conductors are neglected.

We study the dynamics of electrons with rest mass \(m\) and charge \(-e\). The electrons are released at the surface of the inner cylinder.

Figure 1

a) First the potential \(V\) is turned on, but \(\vec B=0\). An electron is set free with negligible velocity at the surface of the inner cylinder. Determine its speed \(v\) when it hits the anode. Give the answer both when a non-relativistic treatment is sufficient, and when it is not. (1 point)

For the remaining parts of this problem a non-relativistic treatment suffices.

b) Now \(V=0\), but the homogeneous magnetic field \(\vec B\) is present. An electron starts out with an initial velocity \(\vec v_0\) in the radial direction. For magnetic fields larger than a critical value \(B_c\), the electron will not reach the anode. Make a sketch of the trajectory of the electron when \(B\) is slightly more than \(B_c\). Determine \(B_c\). (2 points)

From now on both the potential \(V\) and the homogeneous magnetic field \(\vec B\) are present.

c) The magnetic field will give the electron a non-zero angular momentum \(L\) with respect to the cylinder axis. Write down an equation for the rate of change \(dL/dt\) of the angular momentum. Show that this equation implies that

\[ L-keBr^2 \]

is constant during the motion, where \(k\) is a definite pure number. Here \(r\) is the distance from the cylinder axis. Determine the value of \(k\). (3 points)

d) Consider an electron, released from the inner cylinder with negligible velocity, that does not reach the anode, but has a maximal distance from the cylinder axis equal to \(r_m\). Determine the speed \(v\) at the point where the radial distance is maximal, in terms of \(r_m\). (1 point)

e) We are interested in using the magnetic field to regulate the electron current to the anode. For \(B\) larger than a critical magnetic field \(B_c\), an electron, released with negligible velocity, will not reach the anode. Determine \(B_c\).
(1 point)

f) If the electrons are set free by heating the inner cylinder an electron will in general have an initial nonzero velocity at the surface of the inner cylinder. The component of the initial velocity parallel to \(\vec B\) is \(v_B\), the components orthogonal to \(\vec B\) are \(v_r\) (in the radial direction) and \(v_\varphi\) (in the azimuthal direction, i.e. orthogonal to the radial direction).

Determine for this situation the critical magnetic field \(B_c\) for reaching the anode. (2 points)

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

Here \(B\) is the magnetic-field magnitude, \(c\) is the speed of light, and positive azimuthal velocity means counterclockwise motion in the figure. Thus \(v_\varphi\) in part (f) is signed.

  • a) For \(eV\ll mc^2\), \[ \boxed{v=\sqrt{\frac{2eV}{m}}.} \] Relativistically, \[ \boxed{v=c\sqrt{1-\left(1+\frac{eV}{mc^2}\right)^{-2}}.} \]

  • b) \[ \boxed{B_c=\frac{2mbv_0}{e(b^2-a^2)}.} \] The trajectory is a counterclockwise circular arc of radius \(R=mv_0/(eB)\). For \(B\) just above \(B_c\), its maximum distance from the cylinder axis is just below \(b\), and it returns to the inner cylinder.

  • c) \[ \boxed{\frac{dL}{dt}=eBr\dot r,\qquad L-\frac{eB}{2}r^2=\text{constant},\qquad k=\frac12.} \]

  • d) \[ \boxed{v=\frac{eB(r_m^2-a^2)}{2mr_m}.} \] Equivalently, \[ v=\sqrt{\frac{2eV}{m}\frac{\ln(r_m/a)}{\ln(b/a)}}. \]

  • e) \[ \boxed{B_c=\frac{2mb}{e(b^2-a^2)} \sqrt{\frac{2eV}{m}} =\frac{b}{b^2-a^2}\sqrt{\frac{8mV}{e}}.} \]

  • f) For an electron emitted into the gap, \[ \boxed{ B_c=\frac{2m}{e(b^2-a^2)} \left[ b\sqrt{v_r^2+v_\varphi^2+\frac{2eV}{m}} -av_\varphi \right]. } \] This is independent of \(v_B\).

Solution

Take the positive \(z\)-axis along \(\vec B\), out of the figure. The positive azimuthal direction is then counterclockwise. Let \(L\) denote the signed \(z\)-component of the electron’s mechanical angular momentum. After part (a), we use non-relativistic mechanics as stipulated.

a)

The electric potential increases by \(V\) between the inner cylinder and the anode. Since the electron’s charge is \(-e\), its potential energy decreases by \(eV\). Conservation of energy therefore gives

\[ K_{\mathrm{final}}=eV. \]

When this energy is small compared with the rest energy, \(eV\ll mc^2\),

\[ \frac12mv^2=eV, \]

so

\[ \boxed{v=\sqrt{\frac{2eV}{m}}.} \]

For a relativistic treatment,

\[ (\gamma-1)mc^2=eV, \qquad \gamma=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1-v^2/c^2}}. \]

Thus

\[ \gamma=1+\frac{eV}{mc^2}, \]

and

\[ \boxed{ v=c\sqrt{1-\left(1+\frac{eV}{mc^2}\right)^{-2}}. } \]

Expanding this expression for \(eV/(mc^2)\ll1\) recovers the non-relativistic result.

b)

The magnetic force is perpendicular to the velocity, so it does no work. The electron’s speed remains \(v_0\), and its motion perpendicular to the uniform magnetic field is circular. The orbit radius \(R\) follows from

\[ \frac{mv_0^2}{R}=ev_0B, \]

giving

\[ R=\frac{mv_0}{eB}. \]

Choose the release point to be \(P=(a,0)\), with initial velocity along the positive \(x\)-axis. Because

\[ \vec F=-e\,\vec v\times\vec B, \]

the initial force points along the positive \(y\)-axis. The circle therefore has centre

\[ C=(a,R) \]

and equation

\[ (x-a)^2+(y-R)^2=R^2. \]

The distance from the cylinder axis \(O\) to the orbit centre is

\[ OC=\sqrt{a^2+R^2}. \]

Consequently, the maximum radial distance attained is

\[ r_{\max}=\sqrt{a^2+R^2}+R. \]

At the critical field, this maximum equals \(b\):

\[ \sqrt{a^2+R_c^2}+R_c=b. \]

Squaring after rearrangement gives

\[ a^2+R_c^2=(b-R_c)^2, \qquad R_c=\frac{b^2-a^2}{2b}. \]

Hence

\[ \boxed{ B_c=\frac{mv_0}{eR_c} =\frac{2mbv_0}{e(b^2-a^2)}. } \]

For the requested sketch, draw the two concentric cylinder boundaries and start the electron at their right-hand radial line, on the inner boundary. Its initial tangent points directly outward, and the path bends upward, following the circle centred at \(C=(a,R)\) counterclockwise. Its farthest point from \(O\) lies on the ray \(OC\). When \(B\) is slightly greater than \(B_c\), this point lies just inside the anode. The electron then moves inward and strikes the inner cylinder again. The return point has polar angle

\[ \varphi_{\mathrm{return}}=2\arctan(R/a). \]

c)

The electric force is radial and therefore exerts no torque about the cylinder axis.

Writing the velocity as

\[ \vec v=\dot r\,\hat{\boldsymbol r} +r\dot\varphi\,\hat{\boldsymbol\varphi} +v_z\,\hat{\boldsymbol z}, \]

the magnetic force is

\[ -e\,\vec v\times\vec B =-eBr\dot\varphi\,\hat{\boldsymbol r} +eB\dot r\,\hat{\boldsymbol\varphi}. \]

Its azimuthal component is \(F_\varphi=eB\dot r\). Therefore,

\[ \frac{dL}{dt}=rF_\varphi=eBr\dot r. \]

Since \(B\) is constant,

\[ eBr\dot r=\frac{eB}{2}\frac{d(r^2)}{dt}. \]

It follows that

\[ \frac{d}{dt}\left(L-\frac{eB}{2}r^2\right)=0, \]

so

\[ \boxed{L-\frac{eB}{2}r^2=\text{constant},\qquad k=\frac12.} \]

In particular, between release at \(r=a\) and any later position,

\[ L(r)=L(a)+\frac{eB}{2}(r^2-a^2). \]

d)

The electron starts with negligible velocity, so \(L(a)=0\). Thus

\[ L(r)=\frac{eB}{2}(r^2-a^2). \]

Neither field produces an axial force, so the initially vanishing axial velocity remains zero. At the maximum radial distance \(r_m\), the radial velocity also vanishes. The velocity there is therefore entirely azimuthal, giving

\[ L(r_m)=mr_mv. \]

Consequently,

\[ mr_mv=\frac{eB}{2}(r_m^2-a^2), \]

and

\[ \boxed{v=\frac{eB(r_m^2-a^2)}{2mr_m}.} \]

An equivalent expression follows from energy conservation. In the charge-free cylindrical gap, Gauss’s law gives \(rE_r=\text{constant}\). With the inner cylinder at zero potential and the anode at \(V\), the potential is

\[ \Phi(r)=V\frac{\ln(r/a)}{\ln(b/a)}. \]

Since the magnetic field does no work,

\[ \frac12mv^2=e\Phi(r_m), \]

which gives

\[ \boxed{ v=\sqrt{\frac{2eV}{m}\frac{\ln(r_m/a)}{\ln(b/a)}}. } \]

These two expressions must agree at the actual turning radius \(r_m\).

e)

At the critical field, the electron’s maximum radial distance is exactly \(b\). It reaches the anode tangentially, with zero radial velocity.

Energy conservation fixes its speed there:

\[ v_b=\sqrt{\frac{2eV}{m}}. \]

Using part (d) with \(r_m=b\),

\[ v_b=\frac{eB_c(b^2-a^2)}{2mb}. \]

Therefore,

\[ \boxed{ B_c=\frac{2mb}{e(b^2-a^2)} \sqrt{\frac{2eV}{m}} =\frac{b}{b^2-a^2}\sqrt{\frac{8mV}{e}}. } \]

For \(B>B_c\), the azimuthal kinetic energy required at \(r=b\) by angular-momentum conservation exceeds the total kinetic energy available there. The electron cannot reach the anode.

f)

Take the initial radial component to point into the gap, so \(v_r\ge0\). Denote the later radial and azimuthal velocity components by \(u_r\) and \(u_\varphi\).

There is no axial force, so

\[ u_z=v_B \]

throughout the motion. The initial angular momentum is

\[ L(a)=mav_\varphi. \]

The conservation law from part (c) gives

\[ mr u_\varphi =mav_\varphi+\frac{eB}{2}(r^2-a^2). \]

At the anode,

\[ u_\varphi(b) =\frac{a}{b}v_\varphi +\frac{eB(b^2-a^2)}{2mb}. \]

Energy conservation between the two cylinders gives

\[ \frac12m\left[u_r(b)^2+u_\varphi(b)^2+v_B^2\right] = \frac12m\left[v_r^2+v_\varphi^2+v_B^2\right]+eV. \]

The axial kinetic energies cancel. Defining

\[ W=\sqrt{v_r^2+v_\varphi^2+\frac{2eV}{m}}, \]

we obtain

\[ u_r(b)^2+u_\varphi(b)^2=W^2. \]

Thus the condition for reaching the anode is

\[ \left| av_\varphi+\frac{eB}{2m}(b^2-a^2) \right|\le bW. \]

At \(B=0\), \(|av_\varphi|<bW\). As the positive field is increased, the upper boundary is reached when

\[ av_\varphi+\frac{eB_c}{2m}(b^2-a^2)=bW. \]

Solving,

\[ \boxed{ B_c=\frac{2m}{e(b^2-a^2)} \left[ b\sqrt{v_r^2+v_\varphi^2+\frac{2eV}{m}} -av_\varphi \right]. } \]

The absence of \(v_B\) reflects the fact that axial motion neither changes the distance from the cylinder axis nor exchanges energy with the transverse motion.

To verify that the anode condition does not overlook an earlier radial turning point, set

\[ s=\ln(r/a),\qquad \alpha=\frac{eBa}{2m},\qquad \beta=v_\varphi-\alpha. \]

The angular-momentum and energy equations give

\[ u_r^2(s) =v_r^2+v_\varphi^2 +\frac{2eV}{m\ln(b/a)}s -\left(\alpha e^s+\beta e^{-s}\right)^2. \]

Its second derivative is

\[ \frac{d^2u_r^2}{ds^2} =-4\alpha^2e^{2s}-4\beta^2e^{-2s}\le0. \]

Thus \(u_r^2\) is concave as a function of \(s\). If it is nonnegative at both cylinders, it is nonnegative throughout the gap. The condition used above therefore determines the actual cut-off.

Setting \(v_r=v_\varphi=0\) recovers part (e). Setting \(V=0\), \(v_\varphi=0\), and \(v_r=v_0\) recovers part (b).

The solution was checked against the official solution.