Radiation and the Classical Electron

The radiated power emitted by an accelerated charge is relativistically invariant. This invariance imposes restrictions on the momentum change of the charge due to the radiation, which were first postulated by von Laue and are now shown to be more general. From these restrictions one can obtain the radiation reaction in a simple fashion. This approach clarifies the role of the acceleration or Schott energy in the emission of radiation and shows that its mass equivalent must be included in any discussion of particle momentum. This suggests the classical analog of a “dressed” particle.