Completing the Li\'enard-Wiechert potentials: The origin of the delta function fields for a charged particle in hyperbolic motion

Abstract

Calculating the electromagnetic field of a uniformly accelerated charged particle is a surprisingly subtle problem that has been long discussed in the literature. While the correct field has been obtained many times and through various means, it remains somewhat unclear why the (supposedly general) field expression derived from the Li\'enard-Wiechert potentials misses some terms. We present new derivations of the missing field and potential terms by considering only pure hyperbolic motion, and we amend the offending step in the standard Li\'enard-Wiechert construction.