Virtual Charge Distribution of The Electron with Its Self-Field

Abstract

It was shown in the previous work (T. IEE Japan, 113-A, 719, (1993)) that the electron, which is in fact a structureless point particle with its self-field, behaves as if it has virtual charge distribution when it interacts with the Coulomb potential fixed in a space. In this paper, it is proved that in general the virtual charge distribution appears for the electron interacting with an arbitrary physical potential as well as the Coulomb potential. Next, we consider an electron that obeys the classical Lorentz-Dirac equation (i. e., L-D electron). We investigate the relation between the force on the charged particle and the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave in the two cases; one is the case of L-D electron, and the other an extended charge of classical electron radius. We see that L-D electron is more similar to the extended charged particle than the structureless electron. So we can find some virtual structure. As a result, we conclude the equivalence of the point electron with its self-field and the charged particle having a virtual charge distribution.