Can a charged ring levitate a neutral, polarizable object? Can Earnshaw's Theorem be extended to such objects?
Instrumentation and Detectors
2009-11-13 v2 General Physics
Abstract
Stable electrostatic levitation and trapping of a neutral, polarizable object by a charged ring is shown to be theoretically impossible. Earnshaw's Theorem precludes the existence of such a stable, neutral particle trap.
Cite
@article{arxiv.physics/0701277,
title = {Can a charged ring levitate a neutral, polarizable object? Can Earnshaw's Theorem be extended to such objects?},
author = {Stephen Minter and Raymond Chiao},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0701277},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
11 pages, 1 figure