The electromagnetic field of an accelerated charge in the proper reference frame of a noninertial observer

Abstract

The Lienard-Wiechert formulae for the electric and magnetic fields of an accelerated charge moving along an arbitrary world-line are generalized so that they can be applied by noninertial observers using accelerating and rotating reference frames. For this purpose, a relativistic coordinate-independent formalism suggested by DeFacio, Dennis and Eetzloff is extended to the description of all kinematical aspects required in the theory of the retarded fields of a point charge. The generalized Lienard-Wiechert formula is applied to a number of special situations, demonstrating that it allows a lucid and concise treatment of a number of subtle problems such as the role of the «relativity of acceleration» in electromagnetic phenomena.