Reduction of Order and Transseries Structure of Radiation Reaction

Abstract

The Landau-Lifshitz equation is obtained from the Lorentz-Abraham-Dirac equation through `reduction of order'. It is the first in a divergent series of approximations that, after resummation, eliminate runaway solutions. Using Borel plane and transseries analysis we explain why this is, and show that a non-perturbative formulation of reduction of order can retain runaway solutions. We also apply transseries analysis to solutions of the Lorentz-Abraham-Dirac equation, essentially treating them as expansions in both time and a coupling. Our results illustrate some aspects of such expansions under changes of variables and limits.

Comments: v2: extended discussion of runaway solutions v3: typos corrected