Levitation in an almost electrostatic field

MIRANDA, E. N.

REVISTA MEXICANA DE FíSICA

Sociedad Mexicana de Física

Año: 2004 vol. 50 p. 120 - 122

0035-001X

It is well known that a charged particle cannot be in stable equilibrium in a purely electrostatic field. The situation is different in a magnetostatic field; consequently, magnetic levitation is possible while electrostatic levitation is not. In this paper, motivated by an analogy with a mechanical system, we show that the addition of a small oscillating electrical field to an otherwise electrostatic configuration leads to the stabilisation of unstable equilibrium points. Therefore, levitation becomes possible in an "almost electrostatic" field