Casimir Friction Between Polarizable Particle and Half-Space with Radiation Damping and Image Damping at Zero Temperature

TL;DR

This paper investigates Casimir friction between a polarizable particle and a dielectric half-space at zero temperature, incorporating radiative and image damping effects, and compares results with previous theoretical models.

Contribution

It introduces a method to calculate Casimir friction including radiative and image damping, extending previous models and achieving agreement with recent theoretical results.

Findings

Radiative damping significantly modifies the friction force.

The model aligns with results from Intravaia, Behunin, and Dalvit.

Comparison with previous works shows essential agreement.

Abstract

Casimir friction between a polarizable particle and a semi-infinite space is a delicate physical phenomenon, as it concerns the interaction between a microscopic quantum particle and a semi-infinite reservoir. Not unexpectedly, results obtained in the past about the friction force obtained via different routes are sometimes, at least apparently, wildly different from each other. Recently, we considered the Casimir friction force for two dielectric semi-infinite plates moving parallel to each other [J. S. H{\o}ye and I. Brevik, Eur. Phys. J. D {\bf 68}, 61 (2014)], and managed to get essential agreement with results obtained by Pendry (1997), Volokitin and Persson (2007), and Barton (2011). Our method was based upon use of the Kubo formalism. In the present paper we focus on the interaction between a polarizable particle and a dielectric half-space again, and calculate the friction force using the same basic method as before. The new ingredient in the present analysis is that we take into account radiative damping, and derive the modifications thereof. Some comparisons are also made with works from others. Essential agreement with the results of Intravaia, Behunin, and Dalvit can also be achieved using the modification of the atomic polarizability by the metallic plate.