Radiation of a Solitary Polarization Pulse Moving at the Speed of Light

Abstract

Photons have zero rest mass and always travel at the speed of light in a vacuum, but have no dipole moment. Atoms and molecules, which may have a constant or variable dipole moment, have mass and therefore cannot move at or above the speed of light. As a result, the radiation from such systems moving at the velocity of light was not considered. However, it is possible to create many artificial objects (light spots, effective charges, current pulses, etc.) that can travel at the speed of light and even exceed it. In this case, they become a source of electromagnetic radiation. In this work, the radiation of a solitary polarization pulse that travels at the speed of light and has a variable or constant amplitude is discussed. It is shown that if the amplitude does not change, then such an object does not radiate outward; i.e., the field emitted by it remains completely localized inside the moving polarization pulse. If the amplitude changes over time, then it begins to radiate backwards. In this case, unipolar pulses of an unusual shape, such as a rectangular one, can be obtained.