Scattering of particles by radiation fields: a comparative analysis

TL;DR

This paper compares how massive neutral particles scatter when exposed to gravitational plane waves versus electromagnetic radiation fields, analyzing their motion and calculating classical scattering cross sections.

Contribution

It provides a detailed comparison of particle scattering in gravitational and electromagnetic fields, introducing a force-based model for electromagnetic interactions and evaluating cross sections.

Findings

Particles follow geodesics in gravitational waves

Particles are accelerated in electromagnetic radiation fields

Classical scattering cross sections are computed

Abstract

The features of the scattering of massive neutral particles propagating in the field of a gravitational plane wave are compared with those characterizing their interaction with an electromagnetic radiation field. The motion is geodesic in the former case, whereas in the case of an electromagnetic pulse it is accelerated by the radiation field filling the associated spacetime region. The interaction with the radiation field is modeled by a force term entering the equations of motion proportional to the 4-momentum density of radiation observed in the particle's rest frame. The corresponding classical scattering cross sections are evaluated too.