Thermal radiation, radiation force and dynamics of a polarizable particle

Abstract

We discuss basic expressions and interrelations between various physical quantities describing the fluctuation-electromagnetic interaction of a small polarizable particle during relativistic motion relative to the blackbody radiation, namely tangential radiation force, rate of heating, intensity of thermal radiation/absorption, the change of the rest mass of a particle, and acceleration. We obtain an explicit formula for the frictional force acting on the particle in its rest frame and discuss its connection with the particle acceleration and the tangential force given in the reference frame of background radiation. The criticism of our previous results in recent paper by A. I. Volokitin (Phys. Rev. A81, 2015, 032505) is refuted.