What are the characteristics of electric charges and of magnetic dipoles in uniform electric and magnetic fields?
- An electric charge (a monopole) in an electric field (a dipole from separated positive and negative charges) gets attracted by the opposite charges.
- A charge with its magnetic dipole moment in a magnetic field gets turned and by this aligned to this field. But the charge in this case doesn’t gets deflected nor accelerated towards any pole. (To be precise, such poles do not exist in the meaning, that the magnetic field lines are closed and we applying poles to the surface between a magnet and the air.)
- A magnetic dipole never interacts with an electric field and the electric field of a charged body never interacts with a magnetic field.
But the Lorentz force exists, a moving charge gets deflected in a magnetic field. An explanation, to my knowledge, never was given. It is a phenomenon without deeper explanation.
By looking at single phenomene together, perhaps an explanation is possible. An electron obey both an intrinsic electric charge and an intrinsic magnetic dipole moment. Intrinsic means, that it exist independent from surrounding circumstances. Placing an electron into a magnetic field, the electrons magnetic dipole gets aligned with the external magnetic field. If the electron moves into this field, the alignment will be accompanied by the emission of a photon. The photon obey a moment and changes the velocity and the direction of the electron.
Seems to be, that in the case of the movement of the electron in parallel to the magnetic field the direction of the emission of the photon is also parallel to the field and the alignment is stable.
In the case, the movement of the electron is not parallel to magnetic field, the emitted photon deflects the electron and disalign the electrons magnetic dipole again. As a result of the cyclic process, the electron radiates, it’s kinetic energy gets exhausted and the spiral path is in reality a path made from tangerine slices.
All described phenomena are observed. The summarized explanation is my private opinion, which I have to underline. If there is a inconsistency in my explanation it would be great to get a comment.