Radiation Reaction as a Mechanism for Increasing Energy-Momentum of a Particle Interacting with a Laser Field

Abstract

It is shown, via explicit solution of the Lorentz-Dirac equation to second order, that radiation reaction is responsible for increasing the asymptotic energy-momentum of a charged particle being swept over by an intense pulse of laser radiation. The amount of increase is dependent upon the total electromagnetic energy in the laser pulse per unit area of wave front.