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Prog. Theor. Phys. Vol. 103 No. 5 (2000) pp. 907-928
A Calculation on the Self-Field of a Point Charge and the Unruh Effect
Toru Hirayama*) and
Tetsuya Hara**)
Department of Physics, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
(Received October 29, 1999)
Abstract:
Within the context of quantum field theory in curved
spacetimes, Hacyan and Sarmiento defined the vacuum stress-energy
tensor with respect to the accelerated observer. They calculated it
for uniform acceleration and circular motion, and derived that
the rotating observer perceives a flux. Mane related the flux to
synchrotron radiation. In order to investigate the relation between
the vacuum stress and bremsstrahlung, we estimate the stress-energy
tensor of the electromagnetic field generated by a point charge, at the
position of the charge. We use the retarded field as
a self-field of the point charge. Therefore the tensor diverges if we
evaluate it as it is. Hence we remove the divergent contributions
by using the expansion of the tensor in powers of the distance
from the point charge. Finally, we take an average for the angular
dependence of the expansion. We calculate it for the case of
uniform acceleration and circular motion, and it is found that
the order of the vacuum stress multiplied by πα
(α=e2/\hbarc is the fine structure constant) is equal
to that of the self-stress. In the Appendix, we give another
trial approach with a similar result.
URL :
http://ptp.ipap.jp/link?PTP/103/907/
DOI : 10.1143/PTP.103.907
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