On an electrodynamic origin of quantum fluctuations

Abstract

We use the Liénard–Wiechert potential to show that very violent fluctuations are experienced by an electromagnetic charged extended particle when it is perturbed from its rest state. The feedback interaction of Coulombian and radiative fields among different charged parts of the particle makes uniform motion unstable. Then, we show that radiative fields and radiation reaction produce dissipative and antidamping effects, triggering a self-oscillation. Finally, we compute the self-potential, which in addition to rest and kinetic energy, gives rise to a new contribution that shares features with the quantum potential. We suggest that this contribution to self-energy produces a symmetry breaking of the Lorentz group, bridging classical electromagnetism and quantum mechanics.