#Physicsfactlet (88)
A charge emits radiation when accelerated, so we can apparently tell if the charge is in free fall or not, violating the equivalence principle.
Solution: the charge will still be at thermal equilibrium with the vacuum, which will look hotter (Unruh effect).
What physical law are you invoking here? Certainly not the laws of electricity and magnetism, for these are fully expressed by Maxwell's equations -- which, as a matter of mathematical fact, cannot prefer any inhomogeneous solution without the imposition of boundary conditions.
-
-
You seem tacitly to be assuming that "the" solution of Maxwell's equations for the field of a point charge is that given by the so-called "retarded potential Green function." But to make this (admittedly common) assumption is to impose a boundary condition (at null infinity.)
-
No other consideration can privilege this particular Green function (and the inhomogeneous solutions to which it leads.) Boundary conditions alone can distinguish it. One may argue that certain boundary conditions are physically appropriate. But they're inevitably non-local.
- 16 more replies
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.