Flux-balance laws in scalar self-force theory

Abstract: The motion of a radiating point particle can be represented by a series of geodesics whose "constants" of motion evolve slowly with time. The evolution of these constants of motion can be determined directly from the self-force equations of motion. In the presence of spacetime symmetries, the situation simplifies: there exist not only constants of motion conjugate to these symmetries, but also conserved currents whose fluxes can be used to determine their evolution. Such a relationship between point-particle motion and fluxes of conserved currents is a flux-balance law. However, there exist constants of motion that are not related to spacetime symmetries, the most notable example of which is the Carter constant in the Kerr spacetime. In this paper, we first present a new approach to flux-balance laws for spacetime symmetries, using the techniques of symplectic currents and symmetry operators, which can also generate more general conserved currents. We then derive flux-balance laws for all constants of motion in the Kerr spacetime, using the fact that the background, geodesic motion is integrable. For simplicity, we restrict derivations in this paper to the scalar self-force problem. While generalizing the discussion in this paper to the gravitational case will be straightforward, there will be additional complications in turning these results into a practical flux-balance law in this case.