PHY3063

R. D. Field

Accelerated Charges
E
E

Stationary Charge: Spherically Symmetric E-field

Moving Charge: E-field NOT Spherically Summetric

There are many ways to generate electromagnetic radiation, but all of them rely on the fact that accelerated charges radiate electromagnetic radiation. Consider a charge originally at rest at the origin. At t = 0 it accelerates for a short time t to acquire a speed = V/c. The kink in the electric field lines introduced by the acceleration travels out at speed c. It is this kink that carries the information that the charge has accelerated and that its electric field configuration has change from a stationary charge to a moving charge. For distances away for the origin greater than t/c the news of the sudden acceleration of the charge has not yet arrived. Note that the kink contains a transverse component of the electric field. This is the origin of the transverse electric field in a traveling wave. Note that

Kink in the E-field line expanding out at speed c!

y-axis

Direction of Propagation

x-axis z-axis

E = K

Qa sin c2r .
Q

r a

Whenever a charged particle is accelerated (i.e. its velocity changes) it radiates electromagnetic radiation. The electric and magnetic field lines cannot adjust themselves in such a way that none of their stored energy is radiated away.
Department of Physics Chapter3_4.doc University of Florida