Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2008/ii/paper-2/15b/solution

Put . From Hamilton's equations,
For the stated time-independent vector potential, differentiating gives , or
Use the Poisson bracket convention . Then direct differentiation gives
For with , the Hamiltonian is independent of , so . The radial force in the horizontal plane is . For circular motion the radial acceleration is , and is the mechanical radial momentum because the horizontal vector potential vanishes. Thus
A circular orbit at that radius is possible when the right side is nonnegative; positive values give either sense of horizontal rotation, and the longitudinal velocity is the constant along that orbit.

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