B4.21

Electrodynamics
Part II, 2002

Derive Larmor's formula for the rate at which radiation is produced by a particle of charge qq moving along a trajectory x(t)\mathbf{x}(t).

A non-relativistic particle of mass mm, charge qq and energy EE is incident along a radial line in a central potential V(r)V(r). The potential is vanishingly small for rr very large, but increases without bound as r0r \rightarrow 0. Show that the total amount of energy E\mathcal{E} radiated by the particle is

E=μ0q23πm2m2r01EV(r)(dVdr)2dr\mathcal{E}=\frac{\mu_{0} q^{2}}{3 \pi m^{2}} \sqrt{\frac{m}{2}} \int_{r_{0}}^{\infty} \frac{1}{\sqrt{E-V(r)}}\left(\frac{d V}{d r}\right)^{2} d r

where V(r0)=EV\left(r_{0}\right)=E.

Suppose that VV is the Coulomb potential V(r)=A/rV(r)=A / r. Evaluate E\mathcal{E}.