Quantum accelerometer: Distinguishing inertial Bob from his accelerated twin Rob by a local measurement

Journal Article · Fri Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.83.085020· OSTI ID:21541540

Dragan, Andrzej; Fuentes, Ivette; Louko, Jorma ^[1]

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1. Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Warsaw, Hoza 69, 00-049 Warsaw (Poland)

A single quantum system, such as the Unruh-DeWitt detector, can be used to determine absolute acceleration by local measurements on a quantum field. To show this, we consider two kinematically indistinguishable scenarios: an inertial observer, Bob, measuring the field of a uniformly accelerated cavity, and his noninertial twin, Rob, accelerating and making measurements in a stationary cavity. We find that these scenarios can be distinguished in the nonrelativistic regime only by measurements on highly excited massive fields, allowing one to detect the noninertialness of the reference frame.

• OSTI ID: 21541540
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 83, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.83.085020; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ACCELEROMETERS
CAVITIES
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
QUANTUM MECHANICS
SIMULATION
FIELD THEORIES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MECHANICS