Radiation reaction, renormalization and conservation laws in six-dimensional classical electrodynamics

TL;DR

This paper investigates the self-action problem for point-like charged particles in six-dimensional flat space-time, proposing a regularization method based on conservation laws, revealing internal angular momentum, and deriving a higher-derivative action for the particle.

Contribution

It introduces a consistent regularization procedure in six-dimensional electrodynamics and uncovers the internal angular momentum and higher-derivative dynamics of point particles.

Findings

A regularization method based on energy-momentum and angular momentum balance.

Identification of internal angular momentum proportional to acceleration squared.

Derivation of a higher-derivative Lagrangian for the particle's motion.

Abstract

A self-action problem for a point-like charged particle arbitrarily moving in flat space-time of six dimensions is considered. A consistent regularization procedure is proposed which relies on energy-momentum and angular momentum balance equations. Structure of the angular momentum tensor carried by the retarded "Li\'enard-Wiechert" field testifies that a point-like source in six dimensions possesses an internal angular momentum. Its magnitude is proportional to the square of acceleration. It is the so-called {\em rigid} relativistic particle; its motion is determinated by the higher-derivative Lagrangian depending on the curvature of the world line. It is shown that action functional contains, apart from usual "bare" mass, an additional renormalization constant which corresponds to the magnitude of "bare" internal angular momentum of the particle.