English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Previous studies from the astrophysics and laser physics communities haveidentified an interesting phenomenon wherein ultrarelativistic chargedparticles experiencing strong radiation reaction tend to move along specialdirections fixed by the local electromagnetic field. In the relativityliterature these are known as the "principal null directions" (PNDs) of theMaxwell field. A particle in this regime has "Aristotelian" dynamics in thesense that its velocity (rather than acceleration) is determined by the localfield. We study this Aristotelian equilibrium in detail, starting from theLandau-Lifshitz equation describing charged particle motion including radiationreaction. Using a Frenet-Serret frame adapted to the PNDs, we derive theLorentz factor describing motion along the local PND, together with driftvelocities reflecting slower passage from one PND to another. We deriveconditions on the field configuration that are necessary for such anequilibrium to occur. We demonstrate agreement of our analytic formulas withfull numerical solutions of the Landau-Lifshitz equation in the appropriateregime.

Dynamics of ultrarelativistic charged particles with strong radiation reaction. I. Aristotelian equilibrium state