Comments on initial conditions for the Abraham-Lorentz(-Dirac) equation

Abstract

An accelerating electric charge coupled to its own electromagnetic (EM) field both emits radiation and experiences the radiation's reaction as a (self-)force. Considering the system from an Effective Field Theory perspective, and using the physical initial conditions of no incoming radiation can help resolve many of the problems associated with the often considered "notorious" Abraham-Lorentz / Abraham-Lorentz-Dirac equations.