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Universal thermal radiation drag on neutral objects.

Vanik Mkrtchian1, V Adrian Parsegian, Rudi Podgornik

  • 1Institute for Physical Research, Armenian Academy of Sciences, 378410 Ashtarak-2, Armenia.

Physical Review Letters
|December 20, 2003
PubMed
Summary
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We calculated a drag force on a polarizable object moving through a photon gas. This force arises from photon momentum exchange, similar to the dissipative Casimir force, and is universal.

Area of Science:

  • Thermodynamics
  • Electromagnetism
  • Cosmic Physics

Background:

  • Objects moving in thermal environments experience forces.
  • The Casimir force describes interactions between uncharged objects due to quantum fluctuations.
  • Understanding radiation-matter interactions is crucial for cosmology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compute the drag force on a neutral polarizable object in a thermal photon gas.
  • To elucidate the physical basis of this drag force.
  • To assess the universality and relevance of this force in cosmic contexts.

Main Methods:

  • Calculating the force on a small neutral polarizable object.
  • Analyzing the object's motion relative to an equilibrated photon gas at temperature T.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Relating the force to photon momentum exchange (emission and absorption) with the thermal bath.

    • Main Results:

    • A drag force linear in the object's velocity (v) was identified.
    • The force's physical origin is linked to the dissipative component of the Casimir force.
    • The drag force's strength was estimated for various dielectric response functions.

    Conclusions:

    • A universal drag force exists for a polarizable object in a photon gas.
    • This force is significant for understanding radiation-matter coupling in the cosmos.
    • The findings have implications for various physical contexts involving thermal radiation and matter interaction.