AIP/123-QED

A charge radiates?
Paolo Tritellaa)
(Dated: 21 September 2016)

It is shown that a charge doesnt radiate in his rest frame; radiates in other frames
if the acceleration is not constant.
PACS numbers: 14.60.Cd, 23.20.Ra, 04.40.Nr
Keywords: electromagnetic radiation, Lorentz Dirac force, Extreme Light Infrastructure, radiated energy, world tube, radiation in a gravitational field, electromagnetic
tensor, Pointing vector.

a)

Electronic mail: paolotritella@libero.it

I.

INTRODUCTION
Many have asked and tried to answer if a charge in accelerated motion radiates. It is

possible to answer at this question for every type of motion. The answer can help to solve
the paradox of radiation for a charge at rest or free falling in a gravitational field.

II.

METHOD
We use the Lorentz-Dirac equation of force with the mass renormalized2
ma =

2e2 2
(v a + a )
3

Eq.(49)

(1)

which is the derivative of the electromagnetic energy-momentum

dp
ds
and the radiated energy per unit particle time that is3 Eq.(4.8)
Z
I = T u n d2

(2)

(3)

which is the time component of the derivative of the electromagnetic energy-momentum in

the rest frame of the particle.
We utilize formalism and method of

used to obtain the Lorentz Dirac force by calculating

the momentum emitted around the world tube of a moving charge in its unit of proper time.
Very close to the world tube is ( is the radius of the world tube, a the acceleration, n a
vector normal to the four-velocity u)2
dp
=
ds

Eq.(72)

2 [1 (an)]T n d

(4)

The temporal component (the energy radiated) is

Z
I = 2 [1 (an)]T u n d

(5)

Taking the limit for 0 and extracting u , constant with respect to d

Z
h
i
2

= u lim [1 (an)]T n d

(6)

substituting the integral with the derivative of the energy-momentum with respect to the
proper time
= u
2

dp
ds

(7)

Now
I=

2e2 2
dp
u =
(u a + a )u
ds
3

2e2 d
(a u ) = 0
3 ds

as stated.

Fig. 1:

The world tube of radius epsilon from which originates the radiation at retarded time.

(8)

(9)

Then the power emitted in the rest frame is null in every frame reference where it is
measured. Being the four velocity in the rest frame (u0 , 0, 0, 0), the time component of the
derivative of the energy-momentum must be null.

For to measure the power in a generic frame we must project the derivative of the energy0

momentum to the four-velocity u0 of that frame to have the time component that is the
power emitted as seen in that frame

I0 =

dp 0
u
ds

(10)

The four velocity u0 must be seen from the rest frame and becomes u .

Applying the Lorentz transformation from laboratory (inertial frame) to rest frame we
0

have u = u0 = (1, 0, 0, 0)

Its components are no more (1, 0, 0, 0) but (0 0 , 0 j ). Then the spatial components are
inserted. They are null only for the hyperbolic motion, where the spatial component of the
velocity a2 v and the spatial derivative of the acceleration a are null. For other accelerated
2
0 2e
motions the emitted power is at least I 0 = 0 j
aj , generally not null.
3
4

Fig. 2: Power in a generic frame.

III.

RESULT

We have seen that for a charge in arbitrary motion there is no radiation in his rest
frame, but there is in the other frames when the acceleration is not constant . The result is
obtained for a surface very close to the moving charge, but being the electromagnetic tensor
divergenceless, it must be valid for any surface enclosing the charge too, in particular for a
surface expanding to infinite.
5

IV.

COROLLARY

~ = 1E
~ B
~ and being the flux density of the field energy
Being the Pointing vector S
4
for a surface with the normal outgoing always positive, we conclude that in the rest frame
~ must be null.
of the particle the field B

V.

OBSERVATION
In the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) experiments17 it is shown that the accelerated

electron first produces a real photon and after creates a pair. If a pair is produced in the
laboratory frame, it must be visible also in the rest frame. This shows the limits of the
current classical theory of electromagnetism.

VI.

DISCUSSION

When the acceleration is constant it is as if for a flow of energy toward the infinite exists
an equal ed opposed flow to the charge, with the overall effect of null transfer of energy. It
is a reshuffling of energy.
The question of radiation of energy for a charge in a constant and uniform gravitational field
is solved. If a charge is free falling, it, not radiating, behaves like a uncharged particle and the
principle of equivalence is saved being impossible to distinguish between an inertial frame
and a frame free falling. If the gravitational field is not constant, there is no a constant
acceleration on the charge and the charge must radiate, but the space is curved and the
free falling frame is inertial only locally, while the charge with his field extends beyond the
locality, interacting with the curvature that produces a force that modifies the motion that
must no more be equal to that of a companion uncharged particle22

pag.14

, then the principle

of equivalence is saved again.

VII.

CONCLUSIONS

Starting from the principles of electromagnetism, there not can be a net release of energy
to infinity in the rest frame, there can be in other frames when the acceleration is not
constant.
6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thanks to Cristina, Grazia, Carina, Bruno, Natale, Orazio, Pietro, Mary, Internet.

REFERENCES

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