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On Irreversibility and Radiation in Classical Electrodynamics of Point Particles

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Abstract

The direct interaction theory of electromagnetism, also known as Wheeler-Feynman electrodynamics, is often misinterpreted and found unappealing because of its reference to the absorber and, more importantly, to the so-called absorber condition.

Here we remark that the absorber condition is indeed questionable and presumably not relevant for the explanation of irreversible radiation phenomena in our universe. What is relevant and deserves further scrutiny is the emergent effective description of a source particle in an environment. We therefore rephrase what we consider the relevant calculation by Wheeler and Feynman and comment on the status of the theory.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Sheldon Goldstein, Michael Kiessling, Steve Lyle, and Herbert Spohn for stimulating discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fachhochschule Münster, Bismarckstr. 11, 48565, Steinfurt, Germany

    Gernot Bauer

  2. Department of Mathematics, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, 95616, CA, USA

    Dirk-André Deckert

  3. Mathematisches Institut der LMU, Theresienstr. 39, 80333, München, Germany

    Detlef Dürr & Günter Hinrichs

Authors
  1. Gernot Bauer
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  2. Dirk-André Deckert
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  3. Detlef Dürr
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  4. Günter Hinrichs
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dirk-André Deckert.

Additional information

Dedicated to Herbert Spohn on the occasion of his 65th birthday.

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Bauer, G., Deckert, DA., Dürr, D. et al. On Irreversibility and Radiation in Classical Electrodynamics of Point Particles. J Stat Phys 154, 610–622 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-013-0837-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-013-0837-2

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