Perturbative correction terms to electromagnetic self-force due to metric perturbation: astrophysical and cosmological implications

We consider the equation of motion of a charged particle or a charged compact object in curved space-time, under the reaction of electromagnetic radiation and also consider a physical situation such that the charged particle or compact object emits gravitational radiation, thereby gravitational radiation reaction also acts on it. We investigate the effect of this metric perturbation i.e. the gravitational radiation on the electromagnetic self-force. We show that, besides the interaction terms derived by Zimmerman and Poisson (Phys Rev D 90:084030, 2014), additional perturbative terms are generated, which are linear in metric perturbation and are generated due to perturbation of the electromagnetic self-force by the metric perturbation. We discuss the conditions of significance of these perturbative terms and also the interaction terms with respect to the gravitational self-force in various astrophysical and cosmological cases; such as the motion of charged particles around black holes, some extreme mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) involving sufficiently accelerated motion of charged stars (specially neutron stars) or charged stellar mass black holes around supermassive black holes, and motion of charged particles around charged primordial black holes formed in the early Universe etc. We find that in some astrophysical and cosmological cases these perturbative terms can have significant effect in comparison with the gravitational radiation-reaction term.

Automated summary

This study examines the equation of motion of charged particles or objects in curved space-time, taking into account electromagnetic radiation and gravitational radiation. It reveals that perturbative terms can significantly impact the gravitational radiation-reaction term in certain astrophysical and cosmological scenarios.