Penning trap normal modes (${\omega }_{\pm }=({\omega }_c\pm \sqrt{{\omega }_c^2-2{\omega }_z^2})/2$)

Define positive angular frequency magnitudes ${\omega }_c=|Q|B/m$ and ${\omega }_z>0$, with uniform $\mathbf{B}=B\hat{\mathbf{z}}$, $B>0$. Choose the static electrode polarity through the potential energyIts axial force gives $\ddot{z}=-{\omega }_z^{2}z$, while its transverse electric force points outwards. For $Q>0$, let $w=x+iy$. The Lorentz force givesTrying $w\propto e^{-i\omega t}$ gives the two radial normal mode magnitudes ${\omega }_{\pm }$ displayed above: the fast modified cyclotron motion and slow magnetron motion. For $Q<0$ the rotation directions reverse. Bounded confinement in this ideal model requires ${\omega }_c^2>2{\omega }_z^2>0$; the repeated-root boundary needs exclusion because it allows a linearly growing solution. At large ${\omega }_c/{\omega }_z$, ${\omega }_{-}\simeq {\omega }_z^2/(2{\omega }_c)$ and ${\omega }_{+}\simeq {\omega }_c-{\omega }_{-}$.

The ideal identitiesfollow directly from that quadratic. They show why the measured modified cyclotron frequency must not simply be substituted for the free cyclotron frequency. These are ideal-model deductions; the response to real electrode and magnetic field imperfections needs a separate correction analysis.