Abstract
We investigate the physics of a charged scalar particle moving in conformally flat spacetime with the conformal factor depending only on time in the framework of quantum electrodynamics (QED). In particular, we show that the radiation-reaction force derived from QED agrees with the classical counterpart in the limit [h-bar]-->0 using the fact that to lowest order in [h-bar] the charged scalar field theory with mass m in conformally flat spacetime with conformal factor Omega(t), which we call Model B, is equivalent to that in flat spacetime with a time-dependent mass mOmega(t), which we call Model A, at tree level in this limit. We also consider the one-loop QED corrections to these two models in the semiclassical approximation. We find nonzero one-loop corrections to the mass and Maxwell's equations in Model A at order [h-bar]-1. This does not mean, however, that the corresponding one-loop corrections in Model B are nonzero because the equivalence of these models through a conformal transformation breaks down at one loop. We find that the one-loop corrections vanish in the limit [h-bar]-->0 in Model B.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 105023 |
Pages (from-to) | 105023 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Journal | Phys Rev D |
Volume | 79 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 May 2009 |
Keywords
- Mathematical Physics