Scalar self-energy for a charged particle in global monopole spacetime with a spherical boundary

Abstract

We analyze combined effects of the geometry produced by a global monopole and a concentric spherical boundary on the self-energy of a point-like scalar charged test particle at rest. We assume that the boundary is outside the monopole’s core with a general spherically symmetric inner structure. An important quantity to this analysis is the three-dimensional Green function associated with this system. For both Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions obeyed by the scalar field on the sphere, the Green function presents a structure that contains contributions due to the background geometry of the spacetime and the boundary. Consequently, the corresponding induced scalar self-energy also presents a similar structure. For points near the sphere, the boundary-induced part dominates and the self-force is repulsive/attractive with respect to the boundary for Dirichlet/Neumann boundary condition. In the region outside the sphere at large distances from it, the boundary-free part in the self-energy dominates and the corresponding self-force can be either attractive or repulsive with dependence of the curvature coupling parameter for scalar field. In particular, for the minimal coupling we show the presence of a stable equilibrium point for the Dirichlet boundary condition. In the region inside the sphere, the nature of the self-force depends on the specific model for the monopole’s core. As illustrations of the general procedure adopted, we shall consider two distinct models, namely the flower-pot and the ballpoint-pen ones.