Structure, normal mode spectra, and mixing of a binary system of charged particles confined in a parabolic trap

Abstract

We study the mixing of two different kinds of particles, having different charge and/or mass, interacting through a pure Coulomb potential, and confined in a parabolic trap. The structure of the cluster and its normal mode spectrum are analyzed as a function of the ratio of the charges mass ratio of the two types of particles. We show that particles are not always arranged in a shell structure. Mixing of the particles goes hand in hand with a large number of metastable states. The normal modes of the system are obtained, and we find that some of the special modes can be tuned by varying the ratio between the charges masses of the two species. The degree of mixing of the two type of particles is summarized in a phase diagram, and an order parameter that describes quantitatively the mixing between particles is defined.