Point Charges in Classical Electrodynamics
Abstract
LaTeX transcription (2025) of a 1989 honours thesis (University of Adelaide) on point charges in classical electrodynamics and the Lorentz-Dirac radiation-reaction equation. The thesis reviews the retarded field of an arbitrarily moving charge, energy-momentum conservation, and derives the Lorentz-Dirac equation via momentum balance. It discusses self-interaction and mass renormalization, and presents world-line self-field definitions including retarded averaging and an analytic continuation approach. Appendices include Mathematica listings used to obtain near-world-line expansions of the field and related quantities.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.18802,
title = {Point Charges in Classical Electrodynamics},
author = {Jonathan Baxter},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.18802},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
Honours thesis (University of Adelaide, 1989) on point charges in classical electrodynamics and the Lorentz-Dirac equation. LaTeX transcription (2025). Minor typographical/transcription corrections only