10,657 research outputs found
Derivation of the Blackbody Radiation Spectrum from a Natural Maximum-Entropy Principle Involving Casimir Energies and Zero-Point Radiation
By numerical calculation, the Planck spectrum with zero-point radiation is
shown to satisfy a natural maximum-entropy principle whereas alternative
choices of spectra do not. Specifically, if we consider a set of
conducting-walled boxes, each with a partition placed at a different location
in the box, so that across the collection of boxes the partitions are uniformly
spaced across the volume, then the Planck spectrum correspond to that spectrum
of random radiation (having constant energy kT per normal mode at low
frequencies and zero-point energy (1/2)hw per normal mode at high frequencies)
which gives maximum uniformity across the collection of boxes for the radiation
energy per box. The analysis involves Casimir energies and zero-point radiation
which do not usually appear in thermodynamic analyses. For simplicity, the
analysis is presented for waves in one space dimension.Comment: 11 page
Darwin-Lagrangian Analysis for the Interaction of a Point Charge and a Magnet: Considerations Related to the Controversy Regarding the Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher Phase Shifts
The classical electromagnetic interaction of a point charge and a magnet is
discussed by first calculating the interaction of point charge with a simple
model magnetic moment and then suggesting a multiparticle limit. The Darwin
Lagrangian is used to analyze the electromagnetic behavior of the model
magnetic moment (composed of two oppositely charged particles of different mass
in an initially circular orbit) interacting with a passing point charge. The
changing mangetic moment is found to put a force back on a passing charge; this
force is of order 1/c^2 and depends upon the magnitude of the magnetic moment.
It is suggested that in the limit of a multiparticle magnetic toroid, the
electric fields of the passing charge are screened out of the body of the
magnet while the magnetic fields penetrate into the magnet. This is consistent
with our understanding of the penetration of electromagnetic velocity fields
into ohmic conductors. Conservation laws are discussed. The work corresponds to
a classical electromagnetic analysis of the interaction which is basic to
understanding the controversy over the Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher phase
shifts and represents a refutation of the suggestions of Aharonov, Pearle, and
Vaidman.Comment: 33 page
The Paradoxical Forces for the Classical Electromagnetic Lag Associated with the Aharonov-Bohm Phase Shift
The classical electromagnetic lag assocated with the Aharonov-Bohm phase
shift is obtained by using a Darwin-Lagrangian analysis similar to that given
by Coleman and Van Vleck to identify the puzzling forces of the Shockley-James
paradox. The classical forces cause changes in particle velocities and so
produce a relative lag leading to the same phase shift as predicted by Aharonov
and Bohm and observed in experiments. An experiment is proposed to test for
this lag aspect implied by the classical analysis but not present in the
currently-accepted quantum topological description of the phase shift.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure
Some Heuristic Semiclassical Derivations of the Planck Length, the Hawking Effect and the Unruh Effect
The formulae for Planck length, Hawking temperature and Unruh-Davies
temperature are derived by using only laws of classical physics together with
the Heisenberg principle. Besides, it is shown how the Hawking relation can be
deduced from the Unruh relation by means of the principle of equivalence; the
deep link between Hawking effect and Unruh effect is in this way clarified.Comment: LaTex file, 6 pages, no figure
Generating anisotropic fluids from vacuum Ernst equations
Starting with any stationary axisymmetric vacuum metric, we build anisotropic
fluids. With the help of the Ernst method, the basic equations are derived
together with the expression for the energy-momentum tensor and with the
equation of state compatible with the field equations. The method is presented
by using different coordinate systems: the cylindrical coordinates
and the oblate spheroidal ones. A class of interior solutions matching with
stationary axisymmetric asymptotically flat vacuum solutions is found in oblate
spheroidal coordinates. The solutions presented satisfy the three energy
conditions.Comment: Version published on IJMPD, title changed by the revie
Modification of energy shifts of atoms by the presence of a boundary in a thermal bath and the Casimir-Polder force
We study the modification by the presence of a plane wall of energy level
shifts of two-level atoms which are in multipolar coupling with quantized
electromagnetic fields in a thermal bath in a formalism which separates the
contributions of thermal fluctuations and radiation reaction and allows a
distinct treatment to atoms in the ground and excited states. The position
dependent energy shifts give rise to an induced force acting on the atoms. We
are able to identify three different regimes where the force shows distinct
features and examine, in all regimes, the behaviors of this force in both the
low temperature limit and the high temperature limit for both the ground state
and excited state atoms, thus providing some physical insights into the
atom-wall interaction at finite temperature. In particular, we show that both
the magnitude and the direction of the force acting on an atom may have a clear
dependence on atomic the polarization directions. In certain cases, a change of
relative ratio of polarizations in different directions may result in a change
of direction of the force.Comment: 29 pages, 3 figure
Casimir Energy of a Spherical Shell
The Casimir energy for a conducting spherical shell of radius is computed
using a direct mode summation approach. An essential ingredient is the
implementation of a recently proposed method based on Cauchy's theorem for an
evaluation of the eigenfrequencies of the system. It is shown, however, that
this earlier calculation uses an improper set of modes to describe the waves
exterior to the sphere. Upon making the necessary corrections and taking care
to ensure that no mathematically ill-defined expressions occur, the technique
is shown to leave numerical results unaltered while avoiding a longstanding
criticism raised against earlier calculations of the Casimir energy.Comment: LaTeX, 14 pages, 1 figur
Spinning BTZ Black Hole versus Kerr Black Hole : A Closer Look
By applying Newman's algorithm, the AdS_3 rotating black hole solution is
``derived'' from the nonrotating black hole solution of Banados, Teitelboim,
and Zanelli (BTZ). The rotating BTZ solution derived in this fashion is given
in ``Boyer-Lindquist-type'' coordinates whereas the form of the solution
originally given by BTZ is given in a kind of an ``unfamiliar'' coordinates
which are related to each other by a transformation of time coordinate alone.
The relative physical meaning between these two time coordinates is carefully
studied. Since the Kerr-type and Boyer-Lindquist-type coordinates for rotating
BTZ solution are newly found via Newman's algorithm, next, the transformation
to Kerr-Schild-type coordinates is looked for. Indeed, such transformation is
found to exist. And in this Kerr-Schild-type coordinates, truely maximal
extension of its global structure by analytically continuing to ``antigravity
universe'' region is carried out.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figure, Revtex, Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
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