Electric Field of Point Charge: Arbitrary Motion

[GRDixon]

Given: a point charge (at rest at the Origin at time t=0) with a constant acceleration in the +x direction. Computation of $$E{x}$$ at points on the y-axis produces negative values that approach negative infinity as y approaches zero. Extrapolation to y=0 suggests an infinite self-force on the charge (and hence on the driving agent) in the –x direction. Comments? (Suggestion: Index “Electric field of point charge, arbitrary motion” in Griffiths, “Introduction to Electrodynamics”.)

 

[GRDixon]

(Suggestion: Index “Electric field of point charge, arbitrary motion” in Griffiths, “Introduction to Electrodynamics”.)

Also, for a program that computes Ex, click on "Accelerated Charges and Associated Reaction Forces" at the top of www.maxwellsociety.net. The program is the first of two in the article's appendix.