Accelerate Charged Particle: Does Light Require Force?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether a charged particle needs to experience a momentum-changing force to emit light, or if it is sufficient for an observer to accelerate relative to the particle. The scope includes conceptual and theoretical aspects of light emission related to charged particles and their motion.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that light emission by a charged particle is independent of the reference frame, emphasizing that it is the particle's inertial state that matters.
  • Others argue that changes in a charged particle's momentum are necessary for light emission, questioning the role of relative motion between the observer and the particle.
  • A participant suggests that if a charged particle accelerates relative to its electric field, it will emit light, while if it does not accelerate relative to its electric field, it will not emit.
  • There is a clarification that "inertial" refers to a state of no acceleration, reinforcing the idea that relative motion does not drive emission.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between acceleration, reference frames, and light emission, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the definitions of "inertial" and the nature of electric fields are not fully explored, and the implications of relative motion on light emission are not definitively settled.

MackBlanch
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Does a charged particle need to experience a momentum changing force to emit light? Or is it sufficient for an observer to accelerate relative to the particle?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Light emission by a particle is independent of the reference frame. It does not matter what the observer does, it matters if the particle is inertial or not.
 
Sorry, I'm not familiar with the term, "inertial particle".

So, it's not relative motion that drives emission, but changes in a charged particle's momentum?

For instance, if you shake one particle in a two particle system, the shaken particle will not experience an emission from the stationary particle? (at least not before its emission agitates the stationary particle)
 
It comes down to this - if the charged particle accelerates relative to it's electric field, then it will emit. If it does not accelerate relative to it's electric field, it will not emit. The acceleration of the observer relative to the particle and it's electric field does not cause the particle to appear to accelerate relative to its electric field.
 
Inertial = no acceleration
MackBlanch said:
So, it's not relative motion that drives emission, but changes in a charged particle's momentum?
Right.
MackBlanch said:
For instance, if you shake one particle in a two particle system, the shaken particle will not experience an emission from the stationary particle?
Right.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: MackBlanch
mfb said:
Inertial = no acceleration
Right.
Right.

Thanks!
 

Similar threads

High School Charged Particle on Earth's Surface: Will It Emit Radiation?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
Undergrad Charged Particle Free Fall in Grav Field: Does Anyone Know Answer?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Undergrad Small question about constantly accelerating charges
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
1K
Undergrad What if particles are moving near light speed and one slows?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
1K
Undergrad Accelerator Particles: Speed of Light & Mass Increase
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
Graduate Weyl tensor and coordinate acceleration
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Undergrad Falling EM system contradicts the equivalence principle?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Undergrad Charged Particles Radiating in "Free Fall" into Black Holes
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Graduate Overall perturbation for two free-falling particles in flat spacetime
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
1K
Undergrad Energy Density in E Field: Does it Contribute to Inertial Mass?
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
3K