A calculation of the radiated power and magnetic field of Čerenkov radiation using the Hamiltonian approach is presented. We use this approach to show explicitly how the Čerenkov cone appears in the limit of long times. The Hamiltonian approach is well suited for studying the formation of the cone at the very beginning of the process using numerical integration. The topic is appropriate for advanced courses on electromagnetic fields and in introductory courses on quantum electrodynamics.
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2010
American Association of Physics Teachers
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