Generic effective source for gravitational self-force calculations in Schwarzschild spacetime

Abstract: The numerical calculation of gravitational self-force in extreme mass ratio inspiral systems (EMRIs) is fundamentally challenging due to the singular nature of point-particle sources. This singularity arises from the interaction between the smaller compact object and its own gravitational perturbation. To address these challenges, the effective source method offers an innovative approach. It replaces traditional regularization schemes with a reformulation of the problem, utilizing finite and physically meaningful effective sources that inherently incorporate renormalized quantities. This paper presents an analytic framework for constructing finite and continuous effective sources for massive point particles undergoing arbitrary geodesic motion in Schwarzschild spacetime. This represents the first fully analytic treatment of such sources for generic geodesic trajectories. The complete analytic expression for effective sources establishes a critical foundation for computing both self-consistent and second-order gravitational self-forces, thereby enabling accurate waveform modeling of EMRIs in gravitational wave astronomy.