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Electromagnetic instability of the Thomson Problem

Jayme De Luca·Savio B. Rodrigues·Yan Levin
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Abstract

The classical Thomson problem of $n$ charged particles confined to the surface of a sphere of radius $a$ is analyzed within the Darwin approximation of electrodynamics. For $n n_c(a)$ the Wigner lattice is unstable with respect to small perturbations and the ground state becomes spontaneously magnetized for finite $n$.

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Jayme De Luca, Savio B. Rodrigues, Yan Levin. 2005-06-23. Electromagnetic instability of the Thomson Problem. https://doi.org/10.1209/epl%2Fi2004-10537-2

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