An experiment in chaotic scattering using repulsive magnetic forces

We consider the scattering of a particle injected into a system of three coplanar potentials that give rise to inverse square law repulsive forces. Most of the parameter space defined by the combination of injection energy and impact parameter is found to be associated with geometrically simple input–output trajectories. These regions in parameter space are separated by narrow ridges which correspond to chaotic scattering. Experimental data are also reported for the scattering of a magnetic puck propelled into the domain of three fixed magnets.