Thermal vacuum friction of objects with different dimensionality
Phys. Rev. A 114, 043513 – Published 13 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/tysq-yns6
Abstract
Radiative forces acting on neutral bodies moving through a thermal bath represent a unique manifestation of the interplay between relativistic kinematics and thermal fluctuations. Vacuum friction is commonly formulated using the fluctuation-dissipation theorem or related statistical approaches, but such treatments can obscure the elementary momentum-transfer processes, especially in relativistic regimes. Here, we develop a kinetic momentum-transfer framework based on relativistic kinematics in which the radiative force and pressure are obtained by summing individual scattering and absorption events. This approach offers a transparent physical picture while ensuring a self-consistent treatment of Doppler shifts and relativistic transformations. We apply the method to three representative geometries: an isotropic dipolar particle, a thin resonant plate moving normal to its surface, and a thin resonant plate moving parallel to its surface. In the nonrelativistic limit, we derive explicit radiative drag coefficients, providing compact expressions for predicting vacuum friction in moving structures.
