Electromagnetic field of a charge moving in a chiral isotropic medium

Abstract

We analyze the electromagnetic field generated by a point charge moving with a constant velocity in an isotropic chiral medium. We work in the frame of the Condon dispersion model for the weak chirality and ultrarelativistic motion of the charge. We show that the field of a moving charge contains two low-frequency wave processes with right- and left-hand circular polarizations and a high-frequency wave process with a right-hand polarization. The low-frequency wave field exists at an arbitrary charge velocity and oscillates at a frequency of the order of the resonant frequency of the medium. This effect is of most importance near the charge trajectory. The high-frequency wave field arises at an ultrahigh velocity and is essential near the plane of charge dislocation for a sufficiently large offset from the trajectory. This wave field oscillates at a frequency that is considerably greater (up to several orders) than the resonant frequency of the medium. Intriguingly, both of these phenomena exist in the domain in front of the charge, thus producing the low- and high-frequency wave forerunners correspondingly.