Drift theory of charged-particle motion for a strong electric field in a weakly relativistic approximation

Abstract

Drift equations of motion are derived for a charged particle in the case of a strong electric field with allowance for relativistic effects of order v²/c². The role of these effects is discussed along with the effects of a high-frequency field. The cases of weak and strong electric fields are distinguished [2] in the drift theory of the motion of charged particles in weakly inhomogeneous magnetic and electric fields. In the case of a weak electric field, the electric-drift velocity is v_E ≪ v, where v is the characteristic velocity of the particle. For a strong electric field,v _E∼v.

The drift theory has now been reasonably well developed for the case of weak electric fields in the classical and relativistic cases, for the absence of high-frequency fields and for the presence of these [1–3], Extension of the theory to strong electric fields involves considerable mathematical difficulties, and this has been done only in the classical approximation with and without hf fields [2–4], Here we consider the drift theory of charged-particle motion for the case of a strong electric field in the weakly relativistic approximation, incorporating terms of order v²/c², where c is the velocity of light. Also hf fields may be present.