Question

Suppose you drop an electron and it falls from rest towards the floor. Treat the falling electron as a time varying dipole. (Griffiths Intro to Electrodynamics 3rd Ed.)

a. Write an equation for the dipole moment when the electron has fallen to a point −y, taking the origin at the starting point.

b. Use equation 11.60 to find the radiated power.

c. Find the energy radiated on falling from zero to −y

d. Find the ratio of the energy radiated (part c) to the gravitational energy lost.

e. Now work the same problem treating the electron as a falling point charge and use the Larmor formula.

Answer 1