Electrodynamics
Field Strength
The electrostatic potential V satisfies a Poisson equation given as
, (26)
where is the space charge per unit volume. Then electric field is given as
, (27)
Particle Drift in an Electric Field
The equation of motion of a particle in an electric field is given by
, (28)
where the forces are due to drag, gravity, and electric field. Equation (28) may be restated as
, (29)
Equation (29) may be restated as
, (30)
where . Suppose is in the same direction as ,
non-dimensionalizing with respect to , we find
, (31)
where
, (32)
If , then the electrical force dominates. In this case, if the inertia is also neglected, we find
or , (33)
In addition to the gravitational and electrical forces, particles could experience forces induced by temperature gradient, concentration gradient, and electromagnetic radiation. These are discussed in the next section. |