Reply to 'Comment on 'Surface-impedance approach solves problems with the thermal Casimir force between real metals''

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2004 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.70.016102· OSTI ID:20645826

Geyer, B; Klimchitskaya, G L; Mostepanenko, V M ^[1]

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1. Center of Theoretical Studies and Institute for Theoretical Physics, Leipzig University, Augustusplatz 10/11, 04109, Leipzig (Germany)

The preceding Comment discusses in detail the main idea of our paper [Phys. Rev. A 67, 062102 (2003)], namely that one cannot substitute the Drude dielectric function into the Lifshitz formula for the thermal Casimir force in the frequency region where a real current of conduction electrons leads to Joule heating in the metal. In that Comment, it is claimed that this idea would be in contradiction to the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. In this Reply we present an explicit explanation why there is no contradiction. In the second part of the Comment an alternative method is suggested, different from the one used in our paper, to calculate the thermal Casimir force in the framework of the impedance approach. This method is in support of a previous prediction by Svetovoy and Lokhanin, criticized by us, that there exists a relatively large thermal correction to the Casimir force between real metals at small separations. Here we present strong quantitative arguments in favor of the statement that the method of the Comment is in violation of the Nernst heat theorem. We also demonstrate that it is in contradiction with experiment. The approach of our paper is shown to be in agreement with both thermodynamics and experimental data.

• OSTI ID: 20645826
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 70; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
CASIMIR EFFECT
CORRECTIONS
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRON MOBILITY
ELECTRONS
FLUCTUATIONS
IMPEDANCE
JOULE HEATING
NERNST HEAT THEOREM
PERMITTIVITY
SURFACES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMICS