Abstract

Maxwell's equations and constitutive relations have the same expressions in uniformly moving frames and in uniformly accelerated frames, except that in the accelerated case velocity depends on space and time. This last feature makes it difficult to obtain solutions to Maxwell's equations. An interesting approximation is possible when one considers a uniformly accelerated system at a time long enough after its launch to make its velocity approach the velocity of light. We discuss this approximation as applied to electromagnetic plane waves propagating in a uniformly accelerated medium. We prove that a static charge in a uniformly accelerated medium does not radiate.