Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Radiation From an Electric Charge

  • Published:
Foundations of Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The conditions in which electromagnetic radiation is formed are discussed. It is found that the main condition for the emission of radiation by an electric charge is the existence of a relative acceleration between the charge and its electric field. Such a situation exists both for a charge accelerated in a free space, and for a charge supported at rest in a gravitational field. Hence, in such situations, the charges radiate. It is also shown that relating radiation to the relative acceleration between a charge and its electric field, solves several difficulties that existed in earlier approaches, like the “energy balance paradox,” and the “relativistic” nature of the observation of the emitted radiation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. C. Leibovitz and A. Peres, Ann. Phys. 25, 400 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  2. A. Fulton and F. Rohrlich, Ann. Phys. 9, 499 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  3. J. D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics, 2nd edn. (Wiley, New York, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  4. W. K. H. Panofsky and M. Phillips, Classical Electricity and Magnetism, 2nd edn. (Addison_Wesley, Reading, MA, 1962).

    Google Scholar 

  5. S. Parrott, Relativistic Electrodynamics and Differential Geometry (Springer, New York, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  6. F. Rohrlich, Classical Charged Particles (Addison_Wesley, Reading, MA, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  7. D. G. Boulware, Ann. Phys. 124, 169 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  8. G. E. A. Matsas, Gen. Rel. Grav. 26, 1165 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  9. A. K. Singal, Gen. Rel. Grav. 29, 1371 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  10. A. Gupta and T. Padmanabhan, Phys. Rev. D 57, 7241 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  11. A. Harpaz and N. Soker, Gen. Rel. Grav. 30, 1217 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  12. F. Rohrlich, Ann. Phys. 22, 169 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  13. W. G. Unruh, Phys. Rev. D 14, 870 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  14. W. G. Unruh and R. M. Wald, Phys. Rev. D 29, 1047 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  15. J. D. Bekenstein, Phys. Rev. D 60, 124010 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  16. L. A. Motz, Nuovo Cimento 9B, 77 (1772).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Haifa at Oranim, Tivon, 36006, Israel

    Amos Harpaz

  2. Department of Physics, University of Haifa at Oranim, Tivon, 36006, Israel

    Noam Soker

Authors
  1. Amos Harpaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Noam Soker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Harpaz, A., Soker, N. Radiation From an Electric Charge. Foundations of Physics 31, 935–949 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017512018176

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017512018176

Keywords

Search

Navigation