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microtopian
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The following two questions regard the self energy of electrons.. Does anybody know how to start these? I used this site as reference but I wasn't sure if they help with these following questions: http://quantummechanics.ucsd.edu/ph130a/130_notes/node44.html
Calculation 1: Pretend the electron is made up of two halves, each with charge e/2. How much energy is required to bring the two halves together, i.e., so that they occupy the same point in space?
Calculation 2: That calculation was a bit over-simplified. Let’s do a better job. Pretend that the charge of an electron is spread uniformly over the surface of a spherical shell with radius r0. Next calculate the electric field everywhere in space, i.e., at an arbitrary distance r from the center of the shell. Obviously the answer will depend on r and r0. Next, calculate the total energy stored in the field, by integrating the energy density u over all space. Finally, let the “electron” become a point particle, by letting r0 go to zero.
Calculation 1: Pretend the electron is made up of two halves, each with charge e/2. How much energy is required to bring the two halves together, i.e., so that they occupy the same point in space?
Calculation 2: That calculation was a bit over-simplified. Let’s do a better job. Pretend that the charge of an electron is spread uniformly over the surface of a spherical shell with radius r0. Next calculate the electric field everywhere in space, i.e., at an arbitrary distance r from the center of the shell. Obviously the answer will depend on r and r0. Next, calculate the total energy stored in the field, by integrating the energy density u over all space. Finally, let the “electron” become a point particle, by letting r0 go to zero.