[Physics] Why doesn’t a charged particle moving with constant velocity produce electromagnetic waves

accelerationchargeelectromagnetic-radiationelectromagnetisminertial-frames

A charged particle moving with an acceleration produces electromagnetic waves. Why doesn't a charged particle moving with a constant velocity produce electromagnetic waves? As far I understand, the electric and magnetic fields in space will still be time-dependent, if a charged particle is moving with constant velocity, so they could have given rise to electromagnetic waves, but they don't.

Also, why do accelerating charged particles produce electromagnetic waves? What is Nature's intention behind this phenomena?

Best Answer

Riemannium's answer tackles why you need acceleration to form EM waves. I will hit from a different way that I think gets at your question title as to why charges moving at a constant velocity do not produce EM waves. In the subsequent discussion all mentioned reference frames are inertial reference frames.

The easiest way to reason that charges moving at a constant velocity relative to us will not emit radiation is to observe that we can always boost to a frame moving along with the charge. Then we will just see a stationary charge with just a constant electric field.

Now, it wouldn't make sense that we don't see an EM wave in our frame, but someone moving by at some us would. If an EM wave exists in one inertial frame it must exist in all inertial frames. Therefore, it must be that a charge moving at a constant velocity (in some inertial reference frame) cannot produce an EM wave.

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