A New Derivation for the Radiation Reaction Force

Abstract

A new derivation for the radiation reaction on a point charge is presented. The field of the charge is written as a superposition of plane waves. The plane wave spectrum of the field consists of homogeneous plane waves which propagate away from the charge at the speed of light, and inhomogeneous plane waves which constitute the Coulomb field of the point charge. The radiation field is finite at the orbit of the point charge. The force acting on the charge due to this field is the well known Abraham-Lorentz radiation reaction.