On the electrodynamics of spinning particles

The electrodynamics of spinning point particles is considered. A modification of the Lorentz force law is introduced which can be interpreted as a classical limit of the Dirac-Klein-Gordon equation. An improved version of the inhomogeneous Maxwell equations is constructed to describe the classical fields of spinning particles. Both classical and quantum electrodynamics are shown to predict relativistic time-dilatation effects for spinning particles in an electromagnetic field, even in the limit of zero velocity. The life-time of unstable charged particles moving in a Coulomb field is computed for both spin-zero and spin-half particles. Comparison shows spin effects to be present but relatively small. The magnitude of further spin-dependent correction from hyperfine interactions is computed. A measurement of the life-time of muons in atomic bound states separated by such spin-dependent hyperfine interactions would provide a clean test for the effect predicted. Similar effects are shown to arise in non-abelian gauge theories such as QCD. (author). 18 refs