19 January 1998

PHYSICS LETTERS A

Physics Letters A 237 (1998) 343-348

New approach to the classical radiation fields of moving dipoles

Jo& A. Heras
Institute de Fisica. Universidad Nacionai Autdnoma de MPxico, Apartado Postal 20-364, OIOOOMexico, D.E, Mexico

Received 25 August 1997; accepted for publication 3 September 1997

Communicated by V.M. Agranovich

Abstract

We present an alternative approach for calculating classical radiation fields of moving point sources. This approach
simplifies considerably the computation of the radiation fields of moving dipoles. As a novel application, we calculate the
radiation fields of an arbitrarily moving toroid dipole. As a by-product, we derive new formulas for the radiated power and
the radiation reaction force of nonrelativistic electric and toroid dipole moments. @ 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

PACS 03.5O.Dc: 41.20.Bt; 41.60.A~

In classical electrodynamics the radiation fields of
a moving charge are usually calculated via the tra-
ditional potential approach [ 11. In this approach we
derive first the LiCnard-Wiechert fields and immedi-
ately we separate the part of the fields that decreases
with distance from the charge as 1/R. These 1/R parts
define the radiation fields of the moving charge. This
approach is not, however, so simple when we want
to find the radiation fields produced by other point
sources such as a moving electric dipole. In this case
the separation of the 1/R part of the corresponding
Litnard-Wiechert fields turns out to be a lengthy and
tedious process [ 21. This practical difficulty results
from the fact that the potentials involve all degrees
of freedom of the electromagnetic field while the ra-
diation fields are associated with only the transverse
degrees. In order to circumvent this difficulty inher-
ent to the potential approach, we present in this Let-
ter a new approach based on integral expressions that
involve explicitly the current density and the retarda-
tion effect. These expressions simplify considerably
the computation of radiation fields of point sources,
particularly that of arbitrarily moving dipoles. To il-
lustrate the approach we first derive the well-known
radiation fields of a moving charge [ 11. In a second
application we derive the radiation fields of a mov-
ing dipole possessing both electric and magnetic mo-
ments [ 21. Although these fields were investigated in
the 1960s [3], it is somewhat surprising to find that
explicit expressions of them have not been reported
until recently [ 21. In a third application we consider a
moving toroid dipole moment. Ever since the remark-
able discovery by Dubovik and Cheskov [ 41 that there
exists in the framework of classical electrodynamics
a third family of moments called toroid moments, the
interest in them has increased [ 51. In this Letter we de-
rive the radiation fields of an arbitrarily moving toroid
dipole moment for the first time. We also derive new
formulas for the instantaneous radiated power and the
radiation reaction force of nonrelativistic electric and
toroid dipole moments.
We consider first the generalized Coulomb and
Biot-Savart laws [ 61 in vacuum:

0375-9601/98/$19.00 @ 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

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 344 J.A. Heras/Physics
(2)
(in this paper we use Gaussian units), where the time
integration is from --00 to +CQ and the spatial inte-
gration is over all space. S(u) providing the retarda-
tion effect is the delta function with u = t’ + R/c - t
and R = Ix - ~‘1 being the magnitude of R = x - x’,
with x and x’ the field and source points, n = R/R
and c the speed of light. Practical advantages, formal
derivations and natural extensions of these laws have
recently been published [2,7]. There is, however, a
subtle point concerning the l/R part of Eq. ( 1). If,
as expected, this part produces the radiation terms of
the electric field, then the presence of the charge den-
sity in this part turns out to be redundant since this
last quantity is associated with longitudinal degrees of
freedom and not with the transversal ones, However,
Eq. ( 1) may conveniently be transformed as follows.
Using the equation of continuity we can derive the
following result,
+ n[ns (dJ/Wl
d3x’ dt’.
Rc2 >
With Eqs. ( 1) and (3) we obtain a new form for the
generalized Coulomb law,
+nx(nxJ) + n x (n x c?J/c?t’)
d3x’ dr’.
R2c Rc2
>
(4)
In other words, by eliminating the charge density in
the l/R part of Eq. (l), we have arrived at Eq. (4)
which has a more symmetrical form with respect to
Eq. (2). Consider now the explicit 1/R parts of Eqs.
(4) and (21,
Letters A 237 (1998) 343-348
JJ‘(‘)
a *x(*x&
E I/R= at d3x’ dt’,
/I S(u)
RC2
RC2
a nxJ
B 1/R = -at d3x’ dt’. (5)
These formulas involve explicitly both the current den-
sity and the retardation effect. They provide an al-
ternative and efficient approach to calculate radiation
fields of point sources. If for example, we consider the
effective current associated to the Hertz dipole, then
the integration of Eqs. (5) yields only radiation fields.
However, if the Hertz dipole is accelerated then the in-
tegration of these equations gives, as will be seen, ra-
diation fields plus nonradiative terms. Therefore, Eqs.
(5) yield radiation fields plus nonradiative terms, that
is, EliR = Erad+ nonradiative terms and B1lR = Brad+
nonradiative terms. By comparing the integrands of
Eqs. (5) we note that “one is n x the other” indicat-
ing their transversal character which is a property of
the radiation fields.
We consider first a charge e with velocity c/3(r’)
at the point r( t’). The associated current density is
J( x’, t’) = ec/?( t’)s{ x’ - r(t’)}. With this source
we integrate the first of Eqs. (5) to obtain EIiR =
(e,/c)d( [ax (nxfi)/RK],,)/dt, where K = 1 -n-P
and the square brackets with the subscript “ret” means
that the bracketed quantity is to be evaluated at the
retarded time t’ = t - R( t’) /c. By performing the
differentiation in the above expression for El/R with
the aid of the following results [ 21: dn/dt = n x (n x
c/3) / RK and
!_(RiKj)= c(* ;sj2
jRiKi_2
- icR’-’ Kjel (n . p)
_ *. p+
(i, j integers),
> (6)
where the overdot means differentiation with respect to
t’, and ignoring nonradiative terms we obtain the well-
known electric radiation field of a moving charge [ 11.
We consider now a moving dipole possessing an
electric moment (d) and a magnetic moment (p).
The appropriate effective current is given by Jeff =
cV x M + d’P/at, where M(x, t) and P(x, t) are
the magnetization and polarization vectors. With this
source we integrate Eqs. (5) by parts and if we ignore
integrals with nonradiative terms then we obtain
 6tujWW'+M)
J.A. Heras/Physics Letters A 237 (1998) 343-348 345

EI/R = $
JJ
a=
RC2
d3x’ dr’, Erad= [nx
{nx
(3d’;;;‘2
c
JJ ax
(n
(7) +3i(n.a)+d(n.i2)
10)
a= x M-p) d3X/dt1.
Rc’
&/R = dt2 S(u)
RC2
We proceed now to calculate the power radiated by
(8) the dipole. In this case the total instantaneous power
radiated is given by
Note that the field B~/R in Eq. (8) follows by letting
P + M and M + -P in Eq. (7). For a dipole
with velocity c/?( t’) at the point r( t’) the polarization
(II)
and magnetization vectors are given by P( x’, t’) =
d(r’)S{x’ - r(t’)} and M(x’,t’) = p(t’)S{x’ -
r( t’)}. With these sources the integration of Eq. (7) For the sake of simplicity, we calculate P when the
yields velocity and acceleration of the dipole are collinear.
In this case the velocity and the derivative of acceler-
1 d=( [n x (n x d + P)/RU,J ation are also collinear. If the dipole is moving along
E I/R = 7
dt= the Z-axis, then we have a = S% and b = Si. By as-
suming that the electric moment and its derivatives
When the indicated differentiation is carried out and
have the same direction we have d = jd, d = id and
nonradiative terms ignored, we obtain the electric ra-
2 = ?ci’. With these values and II = f (sin 8 cos 4) +
diation field of a moving point dipole [ 21,
j( sin 0 sin (6) + ecos 8, Eq. ( 10) is used in Eq. ( 11)
to obtain the instantaneous total power radiated by a
E _ 3n X (n x d+&(n+)=
rad - nonrelativistic electric dipole,
[ R( 1 - n - p)%=

3n x (n x h+@)(n.i?) 18d2a4 6d2a2 2d2b2 4dlia”

+ p=_ - - -
R( 1 - n - @)4c2 35c7 + 56 + 156 + 56

+nx (nxd+p)(n*fi) 4ddati 2d’

+3c”. (12)
R( 1 - II - j?)4c2 + SC5

1
+nx(nx;i+ji)
(9)
R(1 -t~~p)~c= ret’
This formula was first derived in Ref. [ 21. However,
the present derivation is shown to be more succinct
and certainly simpler. The associated magnetic radia-
tion field follows by letting d + p and lu. + -d in
Eq. (9). Esquivel et al. [ 81 have recently used Eq.
(9) to estimate the radiated energy by the dipole sur-
face of a sonoluminescing bubble. According to the
simplified model proposed by these authors, the esti-
mated energy cannot account for the observed emitted
radiation in the puzzling phenomenon of sonolumi-
nescence.
If a moving electric dipole is observed in a reference
frame where its velocity is small compared with that
of light, then the electric radiation field in Eq. (9)
reduces to
By making the substitution d + p in Eq. ( 12) we
obtain a similar expression for the radiated power of
a moving magnetic dipole. Formula ( 12) constitutes
a new result of classical electrodynamics. If we set
a = LI= 0 then we recover the well-known expression
for the radiated power of the Hertz dipole. Therefore,
Eq. (12) may be interpreted as a dynamical general-
ization of the power radiated by the Hertz dipole. By
observing the denominators in the terms of Eq. ( 12),
we conclude that the new dynamical terms are sig-
nificant provided we consider (electric or magnetic)
dipoles undergoing large accelerations (as in the phe-
nomenon of sonoluminescence where we deal with
accelerations of order N lOI2 m/s2 [9] and deriva-
tives of acceleration of order - 102’ m/s” [ 81 for the
radius of the dipole bubble just before it reaches its
minimum value) or dipoles with large moments (as
those of moving magnetized neutron stars).
 346 J.A. Herus/Physics Letters A 237 (I 998) 343-348

Let us now consider a nonrelativistic dipole with of the acceleration, that is, to the fifth derivative of the
constant electric moment. From Eq. ( 12) it follows position r(t) ! Accordingly, the equation of motion is
that this dipole radiates energy according to a fifth order differential equation

18d2nJ 2d2a2 d’r 54d2 d*r 2d3r 2d2 d5r

P= -++ (13) tn- = F,,, + ~ -- (18)
3%’ 15~5 . dr? 35c7 ( dt2 )-- dr3 156 dt5 ’
This formula may be considered as the dipole analogue where m is the mass of the dipole and F,,, is an
of the Larmor formula of the point charge. The emitted external force. We need then five initial conditions
radiation evidently exerts a reaction force ( Frad) back to specify a unique solution! We note, however, that
on the dipole. To determine Frad we require that the the coefficient of a2h in Eq. ( 17) is of order ( 1/c2)
work done by this force on the dipole in the interval smaller than that of ‘ii. Then, for suitable values of
tl < t < t? be equal to the negative of the energy a, ci and ‘ii the first term of Eq. (17) is negligible
radiated, that is, s,:’ Frad - u dt = - J,:’ P dt. Therefore, when compared with the second one and thus we have
conservation of energy demands F rad = - ( 2d2/ 15c5 ) ii. Using Newton’s second law
this force takes the form
I? 12
18d2
F rad .Ydt = -__ aJdr- $$!?tll. a = -&, (19)
.I 35c’ .I’
II fI fl
(14) where 7 is a characteristic time defined by

113
The integrals on the right-hand side can be integrated
(20)
by parts to yield

11 (in the case of a molecule of water 7 = 8.5 x 10PZ3 s).

18d'
J F rad * 11 dt = --
3%’
[a% * I$; Among the solutions of Eq. ( 19) we find one physi-
cally reasonable:

a = a0 ewrir, (21)

which predicts that acceleration spontaneously de-

creases exponentially with time. This solution clearly
2d’ ” agrees with the law of inertia. This is in marked con-
-- ‘ii - vdt, (15)
1%” J trast to the usual Abraham-Lorentz equation of the
point charge which has not a natural solution consis-
tent with the law of inertia. We observe that a physical
where ‘ii = t’ti. If the motion is periodic or such that
problem in which Eq. ( 19) is applicable is that of the
a2a . v = 0 and ti . a - iis u = 0 at t = tl and t = t2
dynamics of the dipole surface of a sonoluminescing
then we have
bubble. From the experimental values of the velocity
12
of the radius of the dipole bubble just before it reaches
54d2 a2i2
.I( F rad --
35c7
I 2d2
15c5
‘ii

>
.vdt=O. (16) its minimum value (N lo3 m/s [ 93 > we can deduce
the values of acceleration (- lOI m/s2 [9] ), the
derivative of acceleration (N 102’ m/s3 [ 81) and the
From this equation we can identify the radiation reac- third derivative of acceleration (N 104’ m/s5). With
tion force, these values, we see that the first term of IQ. ( 17) is
negligible when compared with the second one and
Frad = ??!&2&
_ 2d’;, (17) thus Eq. (19) may be used.
156
We consider now a moving particle with toroid mo-
The form of this force is completely unusual; the sec- ment as a final example. Ginzburg and Tsytovich [ lo]
ond of its terms is proportional to the third derivative were apparently the first to consider the fields of a
 J.A. Herus/Physics Letters A 237 (1998) 343-348 347

toroid dipole moment in uniform motion. The radia-
tion fields of a stationary particle possessing a time-
varying toroid moment were discussed by Dubovik
and Shabanov [ 111. More recently, Afanassiev and
Stepanovsky
expression satisfies Brad = n x &ad. In particuhu, when
the dipole is stationary, Eq. (23) reduces to Erad =
- ( I/ Rc3) n x (n x [ ‘t’] ret) which has previously been
derived [ I I].
If the moving toroid dipole is observed in a refer-
ence frame where its velocity is small compared with
that of light, then the electric radiation field in Eq.
(23) reduces to

there exists the toroidization

[ 1 I],
vector 7(x, t) apart
&id=-[nxjnx (15r;c;u’3
from the magnetization and polarization vectors. The
15Qn - a)2 + IOt(n * a>(n - ii)
effective current associated with the toroidization +
Rc”
is Jen = CV x (V x 7) which may conveniently
be written as Jeff = CV x M by assuming that +6i’(n.a) +4i(n.d) +t(n.‘ii) + ‘i
M = V x 7. Inserting this last expression into Eqs. RC4

(7) and (8)) performing an integration by parts and (24)

ignoring nonradiative terms, we get
Let us now calculate the power radiated by a nonrela-
d3
&/R = -ar_1
J.l 6(u)
n x (n x 7) d3X’ dt’ tivistic particle with toroidal moment when its velocity

JJ 6(u)
RC3
RC”
and acceleration are collinear. In this case the deriva-
a-1 nx7 tives of acceleration are also collinear to the velocity.
‘i/R = 2 d3X’ dt’. (22)
Therefore, we write a = ia, ir = 2& and ii = iii. If we
For a moving particle with toroid moment the now assume that the toroid moment and its derivatives
toroidizationvectorisI(x’,t’) =t(t’)S{x’--r(t’)}, have the same direction, then t = iT,i = iF, i = $
...
where t(t’) is the toroid moment. With this source and t = 15. With these values, Eq. (24) is used in
the integration in the first of Eqs. (22) gives El/R = Eq. (11) to obtain the following expression for the
-(l/c”) d”( [n x (n x t)/RK],,,)/dt3. Performing total instantaneous power radiated by a nonrelativistic
the differentiation and ignoring nonradiative terms, toroid dipole,
we obtain the electric radiation field of an arbitrarily
moving toroid dipole moment: p = ~
50T2a6 90Pa4 40T2n2k2 72TTa”
-
7c” + 7c9 + 7c9 + 7c9
15nx (nxt)(n#
&c,d = - 48Ti’a’h 12T2a”ii 120Tjh”iz 24T’a2
R( 1 - n - p)7c’ +- +p + +-
[ 7c9 7c9 7c9 5c7
+ 152 x (n x i)(n +I>2 2T2g2 “’
32i-2ti2 4TTa2 8TTaiz
“’
R( I - n . fQ6c3
f- +- +- ~
15c’ 15c7 C7 + 3c7
1On x (n x t)(n.j&(n.p) 16TTtiii ...?
+ 32TTab 8TTaii
+- -++ +i$ (25)
R( 1 - n - f?)‘j8 5c7 + 5c7 15s

+ 6n x (n x i’)(nj?) + 4n x (n x t)(n.ji)
This equation is considerably more complicated than
R( I - n . p)5c3 R(l -n.j3)%~~ that of the electric dipole. When a = b = i’r= 0 we see
.. . ...
+nx(nxt)(n+3) + nx(nx t) that only the last term is nonzero. This term is the only
R( 1 - n. /3)k3 R( 1 - n - p)4c3 I ret. one previously reported [ 5,111. On the other hand,
the effect of the emitted radiation is equivalent to a
(23)
radiation reaction force acting on the toroid moment.
A similar expression for the magnetic radiation field For the case in which T is constant, Eq. (25) reduces
may be obtained from the second of Eqs. (22). This to
348 J.A. Hems/Physics Letters A 237 (1998) 343-348

5QT2a6 + 40T2a2h2 2T2a3ii 2T2ii2 References

p=- -
7c9 + 7c9 + 15c7 (26)
[ 11 J.D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics (Wiley, New York,
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7c’ 1 7c9 7c9
J.R. Ellis, J. Math. Phys. 7 (1966);
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I am grateful to Dr. Alfonso Mondragon, Dr.
I 12 I G.N. Afanassiev, Y.P Stepanovsky, J. Phys. A 28 ( 1995)
Octavia Novaro, Dr. Eugenio ley Koo, Dr. Karo 4565.
Michaelian and Dr. Javier Benitez for valuable com-
ments.