The gravitationally induced self-interaction force is calculated at a large distance from a Schwarzschild black hole. If, instead of the electromagnetic field, the particle is coupled to a vector-meson field of vanishingly small, but nonzero mass, then it is shown that the self-force has the same magnitude but opposite direction. A sharp difference between massive and massless vector fields is a result of different boundary conditions at the horizon surface.

• Received 28 April 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.20.373