Generalized Lorentz-Dirac Equation for a Strongly Coupled Gauge Theory

Abstract

We derive a semiclassical equation of motion for a "composite" quark in strongly coupled large-N_{c} N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory, making use of the anti-de Sitter space/conformal field theory correspondence. The resulting nonlinear equation incorporates radiation damping, and reduces to the standard Lorentz-Dirac equation for external forces that are small on the scale of the quark Compton wavelength, but has no self-accelerating or preaccelerating solutions. From this equation one can read off a nonstandard dispersion relation for the quark, as well as a Lorentz-covariant formula for its radiation rate.