Classical and quantum radiation from a moving charge in an expanding universe

TL;DR

This paper explores photon emission from a moving charge in an expanding universe, demonstrating that quantum effects can suppress radiation compared to classical predictions using the WKB approximation.

Contribution

It applies quantum field theory in curved spacetime to derive radiation rates and tests the WKB approximation's validity in specific cosmological models.

Findings

WKB approximation yields the classical Larmor formula in an expanding universe.

Quantum effects suppress radiation energy compared to classical predictions.

Exact models show limitations of the WKB approximation in curved spacetime.

Abstract

We investigate photon emission from a moving particle in an expanding universe. This process is analogous to the radiation from an accelerated charge in the classical electromagnetic theory. Using the framework of quantum field theory in curved spacetime, we demonstrate that the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) approximation leads to the Larmor formula for the rate of the radiation energy from a moving charge in an expanding universe. Using exactly solvable models in a radiation-dominated universe and in a Milne universe, we examine the validity of the WKB formula. It is shown that the quantum effect suppresses the radiation energy in comparison with the WKB formula.