Classical Dirac particle: Mass and Spin invariance and radiation reaction

Abstract

According to the atomic principle an elementary particle has no excited states and under any interaction, if it is not annihilated, its internal structure cannot be modified. The intrinsic properties are the mass $m$ and the absolute value of the spin in the center of mass frame $S=\hbar/2$. We analyze the closed system made of a single Dirac particle and an external electromagnetic field. The Poincar\'e invariance of the dynamics implies that the energy, linear momentum and angular momentum of the whole system must be conserved. The Dirac particle has two distinguished points, the center of charge ${ r}$ and the center of mass ${q}$. When interacting, the energy expended by the field is the work done by the external Lorentz force along the center of charge trajectory. The variation of the mechanical energy of the particle is the work done by the external Lorentz force along the center of mass trajectory. If these two works are different, the excess of energy must be transformed into radiation, returning that energy to the field. The accelerated Dirac particle radiates. Accelerated spinless particles do not radiate. We analyze the spin dynamics of the Dirac particle under an external electromagnetic field. The requirement that the absolute value of the spin for the center of mass observer cannot be modified by the interaction, implies a modification of the dynamical equation which includes a new braking term along the center of mass velocity, that can be interpreted as the radiation reaction force.