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A normal mode is a small oscillation with fixed relative displacement amplitudes, all coordinates oscillating at one frequency. linearization gives $M\ddot{\mathbf{y}}=-K\mathbf{y}$, so mode shapes solve $K\mathbf{u}={\omega }_n^{2}M\mathbf{u}$.

Write $C=q^2/(4\pi {ϵ}_0)$. force balance on an outer ion gives $m{\omega }^2{x}_0=C/x_0^2+C/(2x_0{)}^2$, henceA pair separated by $d$ has quadratic energy $C(y_j-y_i{)}^2/d^3$, equivalent to spring constant $2C/d^3$. The adjacent-pair constants are $8m{\omega }^2/5$, and the outer-pair constant is $m{\omega }^2/5$. Adding the trap stiffness givesIn the three-ion axial normal modes, the translation mode leaves every separation unchanged. The antisymmetric breathing mode leaves the central ion fixed; the remaining vector is orthogonal to both. Direct multiplication yieldsFor breathing excitation after a trap-frequency quench, put ${\omega }^{\prime }=\omega +\delta \omega$ and $x_0^{\prime }=x_0(\omega /{\omega }^{\prime }{)}^{2/3}$. The displacement from the new equilibrium is solely along the breathing vector and the initial velocity is zero. To first order in the fractional quench,The frequency shown is the linearized frequency about the new equilibrium. Nonlinear amplitude corrections are beyond this small-quench result.