Linear Momentum Density in Quasistatic Electromagnetic Systems

We discuss a couple of simple quasistatic electromagnetic systems in which the density of electromagnetic linear momentum can be easily computed. The examples are also used to illustrate how the total electromagnetic linear momentum, which may also be calculated by using the vector potential, can be understood as a consequence of the violation of the action-reaction principle, because a non-null external force is required to maintain constant the mechanical linear momentum. We show how one can avoid the divergence in the interaction linear electromagnetic momentum of a system composed by an idealization often used in textbooks (an infinite straight current) and a point charge.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Eur. J. Phy