The Paradox of Charged Particle Radiation in Gravity
The paradox stems from considering whether a charged particle in free fall should radiate as it would if it were being accelerated in flat spacetime.
According to the equivalence principle in general relativity, a free-falling frame is equivalent to an inertial frame, so there should be no electromagnetic radiation. However, Maxwell's equations suggest that an accelerated charge should emit radiation.
The resolution largely involves understanding the perspective from different frames of reference.
From the perspective of an observer in free fall (an inertial frame), the particle would appear not to radiate. However, in the rest frame (on Earth's surface, for instance), the particle would appear to radiate since the charge is accelerating relative to the observer.
Fritz Rohrlich's analysis suggests that this radiation, however, does not lead to a loss of energy in a way that would violate the equivalence principle, as the radiation is essentially "hidden" from the co-accelerating observer due to the effects of general relativity on space-time.
-- Me@2025-01-27 01:09:34 PM
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2025.01.29 Wednesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK
