Point Charges in Classical Electrodynamics

2025/12/21 by Jonathan Baxter, Baxter, Jonathan
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Algebraic and Geometric Analysis #Classical Physics (physics.class-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Relativity and Gravitational Theory

paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2512.18802

openalex publication_date 2025/12/21 · openalex created_date 2025/12/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

LaTeX transcription (2025) of a 1989 honours thesis (University of Adelaide) on point charges in classical electrodynamics and the Lorentz-Dirac radiation-reaction equation. The thesis reviews the retarded field of an arbitrarily moving charge, energy-momentum conservation, and derives the Lorentz-Dirac equation via momentum balance. It discusses self-interaction and mass renormalization, and presents world-line self-field definitions including retarded averaging and an analytic continuation approach. Appendices include Mathematica listings used to obtain near-world-line expansions of the field and related quantities.

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