Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General
An occurrence of an effective anharmonic velocity dependent potential
J M F Gunn
Abstract
An integrable dynamical problem of a classical neutral particle interacting with an inhomogeneous magnetic field via a magnetic dipole moment is considered; this has been studied quantum mechanically (1978). The equation for the centre-of-mass velocity is of second order resembling that of an anharmonic oscillator with velocity replacing position in the equation. The velocity undergoes curious oscillations, where the spin and centre-of-mass degrees of freedom exchange energy, although there is also, in general, a uniform component to the velocity. An application to the motion of a classical 'neutron' in a magnetic domain wall is discussed, and comparison with previous quantum treatments made.