English

High-Post-Newtonian-Order Dynamics Induced by Tail-of-Tail Interactions: The Non-Geodesic Terms

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2026-08-03 v1

Abstract

We compute the tail-of-tail contribution to the conservative dynamics of eccentric, non-spinning compact binaries to relative 1PN order and to O(et12)\mathcal O(e_t^{12}). Using the 11PN quasi-Keplerian dynamics in harmonic coordinates, we derive the Delaunay-averaged Hamiltonian at 5.55.5PN and 6.56.5PN order and match it to the effective-one-body description, allowing us to determine the corresponding contributions to the non-geodesic EOB QQ potential through the O(pr12)\mathcal{O}(p_r^{12}), including the dependence on the symmetric mass ratio up to O(ν2)\mathcal{O}(\nu^2). The terms linear in the mass ratio reproduce the available first-order self-force results, while the quadratic terms provide qualitatively new eccentric second-order self-force predictions arising from the tail-of-tail terms. We independently rederive the averaged Hamiltonian using a Fourier--Bessel decomposition of the hereditary interaction. Applying the first law at fixed orbital frequencies, we recover the known first-order self-force redshift through O(e12)\mathcal O(e^{12}) and obtain the complete tail-of-tail contribution to the second-order inverse redshift at 5.55.5PN and 6.56.5PN through O(e10)\mathcal O(e^{10}).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2608.01774,
  title  = {High-Post-Newtonian-Order Dynamics Induced by Tail-of-Tail Interactions: The Non-Geodesic Terms},
  author = {G. Pratten},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2608.01774},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

23 pages, 3 tables