Atomic field electrodynamics and classical radiation reaction

The equations of motion for a charge in classical electrodynamics incorporate a radiation reaction force to account for the loss of energy and momentum to the electromagnetic field. Difficulties in the formulation of such equations, especially to account for a self-force involving point charges, have suggested considering finite propagation action-at-a-distance theories which abolish the field concept. The simplest time-symmetric theory has been formulated in terms of a single action integral.;A theory of direct particle retarded interaction can be formulated with a single action integral through the introduction of atomic fields, one for each point charged particle. Breaking the total field into component fields is an analogous step to the introduction of individual particles in atomic theory. The mathematically well-behaved properties of atomic field electrodynamics such as energy and momentum conservation are established and compared with classical results through microscopic and macroscopic examples.