Classical electrodynamics with vacuum polarization: electron self-energy and radiation reaction

A simple mathematical procedure is introduced which allows redefining in an exact way divergent integrals and limits that appear in the basic equations of classical electrodynamics with point charges. In this way all divergences are at once removed without affecting the locality and the relativistic covariance of the theory, and with no need for mass renormalization. The procedure is first used to obtain a finite expression for the electromagnetic energy-momentum of the syste...

We study the electromagnetic fields of an arbitrarily moving charged particle and the radiation reaction on the charged particle using a novel approach. We first show that the fields of an arbitrarily moving charged particle in an inertial frame can be related in a simple manner to the fields of a uniformly accelerated charged particle in its rest frame. Since the latter field is static and easily obtainable, it is possible to derive the fields of an arbitrarily moving charge...

The electric and magnetic fields are investigated on the basis of quantum vacuum. The analysis of the electromagnetic energy and force indicates that an electric field is a polarized distribution of the vacuum virtual dipoles, and that a magnetic field in vacuum is a rearrangement of the vacuum polarization. It means that an electromagnetic wave is a successional changing of the vacuum polarization in space. Also, it is found that the average half length of the virtual dipole...

The search of the correct equation of motion for a classical charged particle under the action of its electromagnetic (EM) self-field, the so-called \textit{radiation-reaction equation of motion}, remains elusive to date. In this paper we intend to point out why this is so. The discussion is based on the direct construction of the EM self-potentials produced by a charged spherical particle under the action of an external EM force. In particular we intend to analyze basic feat...

Working within the framework of the classical theory of electrodynamics, we derive an exact mathematical solution to the problem of self-field (or radiation reaction) of an accelerated point-charge traveling in free space. We obtain relativistic expressions for the self-field as well as the rates of radiated energy and linear momentum without the need to renormalize the particle's mass - or to discard undesirable infinities.

The problem of the self-interaction of a quasi-rigid classical particle with an arbitrary spherically symmetric charge distribution is completely solved up to the first order in the acceleration. No ad hoc assumptions are made. It is shown that most of the puzzles that this problem has aroused are due to the inertia of the negative pressure that equilibrates the electrostatic repulsion inside the particle. When the inertia of pressure is taken into account the dressed mass tu...

Classical Electrodynamics is not a consistent theory because of its field inadequate behaviour in the vicinity of their sources. Its problems with the electron equation of motion and with non-integrable singularity of the electron self field and of its stress tensor are well known. These inconsistencies are eliminated if the discrete and localized (classical photons) character of the electromagnetic interaction is anticipatively recognized already in a classical context. This...

A review of old inconsistencies of Classical Electrodynamics (CED) and of some new ideas that solve them is presented. Problems with causality violating solutions of the wave equation and of the electron equation of motion, and problems with the non-integrable singularity of its self-field energy tensor are well known. The correct interpretation of the two (advanced and retarded) Lienard-Wiechert solutions are in terms of creation and annihilation of particles in classical ph...

In this paper, we construct a parallel image of the conventional Maxwell theory by replacing the observer-time by the proper-time of the source. This formulation is mathematically, but not physically, equivalent to the conventional form. The change induces a new symmetry group which is distinct from, but closely related to the Lorentz group, and fixes the clock of the source for all observers. The new wave equation contains an additional term (dissipative), which arises insta...

The self force of electrodynamics is derived from a scalar field. The resulting equation of motion is free of all of the problems that plague the Lorentz Abraham Dirac equation. The age-old problem of a particle in a constant field is solved and the solution has intuitive appeal.