2025MNRAS.543L..14H

Dust is studied on a range of scales, including large structures such as debris discs and smaller cometary tails. However, while astrophysical environments vary, dust particle dynamics is universal and crosses over into many research areas. A key influence on the dynamics of cosmic dust is radiation pressure, especially in the vicinity of stars. Here, we present an empirical relationship which accounts for radiation pressure forces deviating from the inverse square law. Regression analysis is used to derive an empirical function that is valid over stellarcentric distances ranging from $6R_*$ to $215R_*$ and reduces the radial radiation pressure-driven acceleration of a dust particle by up 14 per cent. To showcase the implementation of the correction we apply the empirical function to a hypothetical dust tail of a comet orbiting the red supergiant Betelgeuse.