Comparison of the time-domain electromagnetic field from an infinitesimal point charge and dipole source

An electromagnetic field is generated through the accelerating movement of two equal but opposite charges of a single dipole. An electromagnetic field can also be generated by a time-varying infinitesimal point charge. In this study, a comparison between the electromagnetic fields of an infinitesimal point charge and a dipole has been presented. First, the time-domain potential function of a point source in a 3D conductive medium is derived. Then the electric and magnetic fields in a 3D homogeneous lossless space are derived via the relation between the potential and field. The field differences between the infinitesimal point charge and the dipole in the step-off time, far-source, and near-source zones are analyzed, and the accuracy of the solutions from these sources is investigated. It is also shown that the field of the infinitesimal point charge in the near-source zone is different from that of the dipole, whereas the far-source zone fields of these two sources are identical. The comparison of real and simulated data shows that the infinitesimal point charge represents the real source better than the dipole source.