Radiative corrections in symmetrized classical electrodynamics

Abstract

The physics of radiation reaction for a point charge is discussed within the context of classical electrodynamics. The fundamental equations of classical electrodynamics are first symmetrized to include magnetic charges: a double four-potential formalism is introduced, in terms of which the field tensor and its dual are employed to symmetrize Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz force equation in covariant form. Within this framework, the symmetrized Dirac-Lorentz equation is derived, including radiation reaction (self-force) for a particle possessing both electric and magnetic charge. The connection with electromagnetic duality is outlined, and an in-depth discussion of nonlocal four-momentum conservation for the wave-particle system is given.