The use of retarded potentials in solving the wave equation is usually justified on physical grounds or else by an appeal to causality. It is shown here that these potentials are asymptotic solutions obtained by solving the wave equation as an initial value problem and imposing only the condition that the initial field energy be finite. The relation of this result to the so‐called electromagnetic arrow of time is discussed.
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© 1992 American Association of Physics Teachers.
1992
American Association of Physics Teachers
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