ABSTRACT
When the particle distribution is very dilute, i.e., the particle density is low, we have as a limiting case that the electric and magnetic fields induced by the presence of the charged particles are negligible in comparison with the externally imposed fields. This chapter summarizes some of the basic dynamics of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields. The equations of motion are basically Newton’s second law in terms of the Lorenz force for the particle velocity and particle position, both quantities being functions of time, for particles with charge and mass. A particle moving in a circular orbit is subject to a constant acceleration toward the guiding center. A magnetized charged particle moving in such an orbit will constantly be radiating energy, cyclotron radiation, and slowly be decelerated to have diminishing radius in the cyclotron motion.
