Electromagnetic Radiation Emitted By An Accelerating Charge

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SUMMARY

An oscillating point charge emits electromagnetic radiation, even at low frequencies, though the energy becomes undetectable below the noise level of experiments. The behavior of the charge's field over time is described by the Lienard-Wiechert potentials, which differentiate between near and far fields. The near field is characterized by terms that decay faster than r-1, while the far field is proportional to r-1. Understanding these concepts is crucial for analyzing electromagnetic radiation from moving charges.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Lienard-Wiechert potentials
  • Knowledge of electromagnetic radiation principles
  • Familiarity with near and far field concepts
  • Basic grasp of oscillatory motion in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the Lienard-Wiechert formulas in detail
  • Research the characteristics of electromagnetic waves
  • Explore the significance of near and far fields in electromagnetism
  • Investigate methods for measuring low-frequency electromagnetic radiation
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, electrical engineers, and students studying electromagnetism who seek to understand the implications of oscillating charges and their emitted radiation.

TheWiseFool
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Suppose a point charge is slowly oscillating simple harmonically. Does it emit an electromagnet wave and if not why not ? How does its field change with time. Does anyone know of a good animation ?

Thanks.
 
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Hi and welcome to PF.
However "s..l..o..w..l..y" the charge oscillates, it will radiate a very low frequency wave.
There is a practical limit to what can actually be measured, however. The Energy of the oscillation gets lower as the frequency is reduced so, in the end, you just can't detect it; it will be below the noise level in any experiment.
 
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TheWiseFool said:
How does its field change with time.
The field from an arbitrarily moving point charge is given by the Lienard Wiechert potentials.
 
Thank you both. My intuition was confirmed.
So, this has nothing to do with 'near' and 'far' fields. I have not yet seen a clear, explanation of these terms and their significance. Would anyone like to try? Responses much appreciated.
 
TheWiseFool said:
I have not yet seen a clear, explanation of these terms and their significance. Would anyone like to try
If you look at the Lienard Wiechert formulas (the fields, not the potentials) you will see that there are a couple of terms one term is proportional to ##r^{-1}## and one proportional to ##r^{-2}##. The former is the far field and the latter is the near field. More generally, any field term that falls off faster than ##r^{-1}## is considered part of the near field.
 

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