On irreversibility and radiation in classical electrodynamics of point particles

DOI10.1007/S10955-013-0837-2MaRDI QIDQ2016538zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Gernot Bauer, D.-A. Deckert, G. Hinrichs, Detlef Dürr

Publication date 20 June 2014

Published in Journal of Statistical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.3756

zbMATH Keywords

classical electrodynamicsradiation reactionirreversibilityWheeler-Feynman electrodynamicselectrodynamic arrow of time

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Equations of motion in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C10) Electromagnetic theory (general) (78A25) Electromagnetic interaction; quantum electrodynamics (81V10) Special relativity (83A05)

Abstract: The direct interaction theory of electromagnetism, also known as Wheeler-Feynman electrodynamics, is often misinterpreted and found unappealing because of its reference to the absorber and, more importantly, to the so-called absorber condition. Here we remark that the absorber condition is indeed questionable and presumably not relevant for the explanation of irreversible radiation phenomena in our universe. What is relevant and deserves further scrutiny is the emergent effective description of a test particle in an environment. We therefore rephrase what we consider the relevant calculation by Wheeler and Feynman and comment on the status of the theory.

Recommendations

• Rindler particles and classical radiation
• On classical electrodynamics of point particles and mass renormalization: Some preliminary results
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3104047
• Radiation back-reaction and renormalization in classical field theory with singular sources
• On the time reversal invariance of classical electromagnetic theory
• Classical electrodynamics of a point particle from action integral
• Classical electrodynamics with vacuum polarization: Electron self-energy and radiation reaction
• Reassessing the Ritz-Einstein debate on the radiation asymmetry in classical electrodynamics
• Blackbody radiation and the scaling symmetry of relativistic classical electron theory with classical electromagnetic zero-point radiation
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 6827441

Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 52458 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1318468 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3213336 (Why is no real title available?)
• Classical Electrodynamics in Terms of Direct Interparticle Action
• Cosmological considerations of the absorber theory of radiation
• Delay equations of the Wheeler-Feynman type
• Dynamics of Charged Particles and their Radiation Field
• Electromagnetic Two-Body Problem
• Exact solutions of the relativistic many body problem
• Maxwell-Lorentz dynamics of rigid charges
• On the existence of dynamics in Wheeler-Feynman electromagnetism

Cited in

(9)

• Electrodynamic two-body problem for prescribed initial data on a straight line
• Rindler particles and classical radiation
• Against fields
• Imperfect instantaneous \textit{energy conservation} in Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory
• Wheeler and Feynman electrodynamics within the framework of retarded causality
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1975427 (Why is no real title available?)
• Classical zero-point radiation and relativity: the problem of atomic collapse revisited
• Global solutions to the electrodynamic two-body problem on a straight line
• The Feynman-Wheeler perfect absorber theory in a new light

This page was built for publication: On irreversibility and radiation in classical electrodynamics of point particles

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2016538)