Relativistic motion in a constant field and the schott energy

Abstract

The Lorentz-Dirac equation of motion for a particle moving in a uniform magnetic field is solved in a form consistent with the idea of Bhabha that the physical solutions be continuous functions of the interaction constant when the value of the constant approaches zero. Using this solution, we show explicitly how the Schott energy plays an essential role in the energy balance characterizing the motion. Similar considerations for the Schott energy are shown to apply in the case of motion in a uniform electric field. An approximate expression for the Schott energy associated with a particle moving in an arbitrary constant field is derived.