Space-time transformation properties of inter-charge forces and dipole radiation: Breakdown of the classical field concept in relativistic electrodynamics

Abstract

A detailed study is made of the space-time transformation properties of intercharge forces and the associated electric and magnetic force fields, both in classical electrodynamics and in a recently developed relativistic classical electrodynamical theory. Important differences are found and serious errors are found in the traditional treatment of special-relativistic effects in classical electromagnetism. Fields associated with radiation processes are also considered and classical and quantum mechanical predictions are compared. An important, though trivial, mathematical error in the derivation of the retarded Liénard-Wiechert retarded potentials is pointed out. It is also shown why electric and magnetic fields produced by moving source charges or current distributions are not `classical fields', and that they do not, in general, constitute an antisymmetic second-rank tensor, as is usually assumed.