Effect of radiation flux on test-particle motion in the Vaidya spacetime

Abstract

Motion of massive test particles in the nonvacuum spherically symmetric radiating Vaidya spacetime is investigated, allowing for the physical interaction of the particles with the radiation field in terms of which the source energy–momentum tensor is interpreted. This ‘Poynting–Robertson-like effect’ is modeled by a usual effective term describing a Thomson-type radiation drag force. The equations of motion are studied for simple types of motion including free motion (without interaction), purely radial and purely azimuthal (circular) motion, and for the particular case of ‘static’ equilibrium; appropriate solutions are given where possible. The results—mainly those on the possible existence of equilibrium positions—are compared with their counterparts obtained previously for a spherically symmetric test radiation field in a vacuum Schwarzschild background.