Self-forces on a particle interacting with a scalar field

Abstract: The terms “self-force” and “radiation reaction” are often used synonymously, and while the former is more general, both can be described by the Lorentz-Abraham-Dirac equation. For a particle accelerating in an electromagnetic field, radiation reaction is usually the dominant self-force, but in a scalar field this is not the case. In this talk we explore the subtle interplay between radiation reaction and other self-forces, and how this can be understood in terms of the dynamical properties of the particle and of the spacetime it inhabits.