Variational principle and energy-momentum tensor for relativistic electrodynamics of point charges

Journal Article · Tue May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Annals of Physics (New York)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2006.07.002· OSTI ID:20976759

Lechner, K ^[1]; Marchetti, P A ^[1]

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1. Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy) and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Padova, Via F. Marzolo, 8, 35131 Padova (Italy)

We give a new representation as tempered distribution for the energy-momentum tensor of a system of charged point-particles, which is free from divergent self-interactions, manifestly Lorentz-invariant and symmetric, and conserved. We present a covariant action for this system, that gives rise to the known Lorentz-Dirac equations for the particles and entails, via Noether theorem, this energy-momentum tensor. Our action is obtained from the standard action for classical electrodynamics, by means of a new Lorentz-invariant regularization procedure, followed by a renormalization. The method introduced here extends naturally to charged p-branes and arbitrary dimensions.

• OSTI ID: 20976759
• Journal Information: Annals of Physics (New York), Vol. 322, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.aop.2006.07.002; PII: S0003-4916(06)00136-9; Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-4916
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BRANES
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
DIRAC EQUATION
ELECTRODYNAMICS
ENERGY-MOMENTUM TENSOR
INTERACTIONS
LORENTZ INVARIANCE
MANY-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
POINT CHARGE
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
RENORMALIZATION
STRING THEORY
VARIATIONAL METHODS