Classical Electron Theory from a Modern Standpoint

Sidney Coleman

ResearchPublished 1961

The development, from first principles, of the theory of a charged point particle interacting classically with the electromagnetic field. The formalism is constructed to reveal the underlying physics and to stress the similarity between the classical theory and the corresponding quantum theory. Such points are discussed as the electromagnetic self-energy, the relativistic radiation-reaction equation, the occurrence and removal of runaway modes, the radiation from a uniformly accelerated charge, and the relation between Maxwell's electrodynamics and the action-at-a-distance theory of Wheeler and Feynman.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 1961
  • Paperback Pages: 53
  • Document Number: RM-2820-PR

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RAND Style Manual
Coleman, Sidney, Classical Electron Theory from a Modern Standpoint, RAND Corporation, RM-2820-PR, 1961. As of September 4, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_memoranda/RM2820.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Coleman, Sidney, Classical Electron Theory from a Modern Standpoint. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1961. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_memoranda/RM2820.html.
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