Introduction to Gravitational Self-Force

TL;DR

This paper discusses the concept of gravitational self-force in general relativity, highlighting the challenges in calculating self-force corrections for small bodies and reviewing methods to address these difficulties.

Contribution

It introduces the problem of gravitational self-force, explains the associated difficulties, and reviews approaches to overcome these challenges in the context of general relativity.

Findings

Identifies key difficulties in modeling point particles in GR.

Reviews methods to compute self-force corrections.

Highlights importance for inspiral motion in astrophysics.

Abstract

The motion of sufficiently small body in general relativity should be accurately described by a geodesic. However, there should be ``gravitational self-force'' corrections to geodesic motion, analogous to the ``radiation reaction forces'' that occur in electrodynamics. It is of considerable importance to be able to calculate these self-force corrections in order to be able to determine such effects as inspiral motion in the extreme mass ratio limit. However, severe difficulties arise if one attempts to consider point particles in the context of general relativity. This article describes these difficulties and how they have been dealt with.