The microscopic origin of radiation from simple metallic antennas

In this paper we study the underlying physics for the radiation from simple metallic antennas-the role played by the microscopic motion of the charge within the conductor forming the antenna. On the macroscopic scale, the radiation from the antenna is shown to be due to the time derivative of the volume density of current, which on the microscopic scale is caused by the spatial average for the acceleration of the electrical charges that make up the conductor. To provide additional insight for this general result, a specific microscopic model for the conductor is examined: the classical free-electron model for a metal.