Uniformly Accelerating Charged Particles: A Threat to the Equivalence Principle [Paperback]

This book examines the problems with the LD equation in flat spacetime and details its extension to curved spacetime. It compares different equivalence principles as well as vindicates some.

A Doubt about the Equivalence Principle.- From Minkowski Spacetime to General Relativity.- Gravity as a Force in Special Relativity.- Applying the Strong Equivalence Principle.- The Debate Continues.- A More Detailed Radiation Calculation.- Defining the Radiation from a Uniformly Accelerating Charge.- Energy Conservation for a Uniformly Accelerated Charge.- The Threat to the Equivalence Principle According to Fulton and Rohrlich.- Different Predictions of Special Relativity and General Relativity.- Derivation of the LorentzDirac Equation.- Extending the LorentzDirac Equation to Curved Spacetime.- Static Charge in a Static Spacetime.- A Radiation Detector.- The Definitive Mathematical Analysis.- Interpretation of Physical Quantities in General Relativity.- Charged Rocket.- Summary.- Conclusion.

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There has been a long debate about whether uniformly accelerated charges should radiate electromagnetic energy and how one should describe their worldline through a flat spacetime, i.e., whether the Lorentz-Dirac equation is right. There are related questions in curved spacetimes, e.g., do different varieties of equivalence principle apply to charged particles, and can a static charge in a static spacetime radiate electromagnetic energy? The problems with the LD equation in flat spacetime are spelt out in some detail here, and its extension to curved spacetime is discussed. Different equivalence principles are compared and some vindicated. The key papers are discussed in detail and many of their conclusions are significantly revised by the present solution.

Addresses and even solves open questions in General Relativity

Reviews wide range of partly conflicting literature&ll±