Abstract
Since a classical charged point particle radiates energy and momentum it is argued that there must be a radiation reaction force. Here we present an action for the Maxwell–Lorentz without self-interactions model, where each particle only responds to the fields of the other charged particles. The corresponding stress–energy tensor automatically conserves energy and momentum in Minkowski and other appropriate spacetimes. Hence there is no need for any radiation reaction.
Highlights
Over the last century there has been significant scientific work debating how elementary charged particles respond to their own electromagnetic field, and the corresponding question of the electromagnetic mass [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Whatever energy is required to accelerate the charged particles must be balanced by the energy in the electromagnetic field which is lost
Since we give the Lagrangian and stress-energy tensor for the MaxwellLorentz without self-interaction (ML–SI), they are different from the equivalents for the usual radiation reaction
Summary
Over the last century there has been significant scientific work debating how elementary charged particles respond to their own electromagnetic field, and the corresponding question of the electromagnetic mass [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Whatever energy is required to accelerate the charged particles must be balanced by the energy in the electromagnetic field which is lost It predicts that no classical radiation reaction will be observed even in the above experiments where it would otherwise be detectable In this model, the universe consists of a finite number of point charges. Since we give the Lagrangian and stress-energy tensor for the ML–SI, they are different from the equivalents for the usual radiation reaction. The letter is organised as follows: We start by giving the Lagrangian of the ML–SI model, the corresponding dynamic equations and the stress-energy tensors. The derivation of these results is placed in the appendix.
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