Casimir effect and the quantum vacuum

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.72.021301· OSTI ID:20711094

Jaffe, R L ^[1]

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1. Center for Theoretical Physics, Laboratory for Nuclear Science and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

In discussions of the cosmological constant, the Casimir effect is often invoked as decisive evidence that the zero-point energies of quantum fields are ''real.'' On the contrary, Casimir effects can be formulated and Casimir forces can be computed without reference to zero-point energies. They are relativistic, quantum forces between charges and currents. The Casimir force (per unit area) between parallel plates vanishes as {alpha}, the fine structure constant, goes to zero, and the standard result, which appears to be independent of {alpha}, corresponds to the {alpha}{yields}{infinity} limit.

• OSTI ID: 20711094
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 72, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.72.021301; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CASIMIR EFFECT
COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT
CURRENTS
FINE STRUCTURE
PLATES
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
RELATIVISTIC RANGE