Radiation reaction and the principle of equivalence

Abstract

The principle of equivalence is shown to extend to situations involving radiation reaction. For example, the Lorentz force law governs the motion of an isolated charge undergoing radiation reaction. In the case of an isolated uncharged particle of small mass, it is the geodesic equation which governs the motion, even when radiation reaction is included. For a local observer to understand such motion he must subtract the singular field of the particle from the actual electromagnetic and gravitational fields he measures. The remaining source-free fields are then used in computing the motion of the particle. With only local measurements, the observer has no knowledge of the existence of radiation and sees no effect which he would be compelled to describe as radiation reaction. Show more