The self-interaction force on an arbitrarily moving point-charge and its energy-momentum radiation rate: A mathematically rigorous derivation of the Lorentz-Dirac equation of motion

Abstract

The classical theory of radiating point-charges is revisited: the retarded potentials, fields, and currents are defined as nonlinear generalized functions and all calculations are made in a Colombeau algebra. The total rate of energy-momentum radiated by an arbitrarily moving relativistic point-charge under the effect of its own field is shown to be rigorously equal to minus the self-interaction force due to that field. This solves, without changing anything in Maxwell's theory, numerous long-standing problems going back to more than a century. As an immediate application an unambiguous derivation of the Lorentz-Dirac equation of motion is given, and the origin of the problem with the Schott term is explained: it was due to the fact that the correct self-energy of a point charge is not the Coulomb self-energy, but an integral over a delta-squared function which yields a finite contribution to the Schott term that is either absent or incorrect in the customary formulations.