Casimir Effect and Calculate Energy Density of it

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of vacuum energy and the cosmological constant problem, which arises due to the discrepancy between the density of the vacuum calculated by quantum field theory and the observed value. While QFT predicts a much larger value, it is thought that there is some mechanism canceling out most of this energy at a quantum level. This is still a topic of debate and research in the scientific community.
  • #1
Quarlep
257
4
All we know that space creates particle pairs,virtual particles,they make a pressure and we call it casimir effect.I want to ask in universe Is there such a way to calculate How many particles created per volume per second.Or calculate energy density ?

Thanks
 
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  • #2
And I am curious about vacuum catastrophe.I look wkipedia but I didnt understand.Which one is larger Lambda or Vacuum energy
 
  • #3
In QED all waves exist in ground state and there is no limitation for wave frequencies. Therefore energy density is divergence and in problems such Lamb shift we manually enter low and high limitation for frequencies. There is no idea for your problem in QED!
 
  • #4
But in other theories ?
 
  • #5
QED is the powerful theory and use second quantization to represent behavior of EM waves. This description is most successful to describe EM waves and i don't recognize a theory which answer to this question.
I'm sorry
 
  • #6
ok thanks
 
  • #7
Quarlep said:
All we know that space creates particle pairs,virtual particles,they make a pressure and we call it casimir effect.I want to ask in universe Is there such a way to calculate How many particles created per volume per second.Or calculate energy density ?

Thanks

Quarlep said:
And I am curious about vacuum catastrophe.I look wkipedia but I didnt understand.Which one is larger Lambda or Vacuum energy

Below is a summary I put together some years ago regarding the cosmological constant problem (or the vacuum catastrophe)-
There are two methods to calculating the density of the vacuum required when calculating Lambda (the cosmological constant); by cosmology (as discussed in this post) and by quantum field theory (QFT).

Lambda in Quantum Field Theory

One theory for dark energy is that quantum fluctuations lead to the appearance and disappearance of virtual pairs of particles which continuously pop into and then out of existence as the universe expands. They cannot be measured directly but they may produce a small amount of energy that has an affect on the overall density of universe and the curvature of space.

Zero Point Energy is another possible source for vacuum energy, a vibrational energy retained by molecules even at a temperature of absolute zero. Since temperature is a measure of the intensity of molecular motion, molecules would be expected to come to rest at absolute zero. However, if molecular motion were to cease altogether, the atoms would each have a precisely known location and velocity (zero), and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that this cannot occur, since precise values of both position and velocity of an object cannot be known simultaneously. Thus, even molecules at absolute zero must have some zero-point energy.

Lambda calculated by Quantum Field Theory
(quantum fluctuations of particles, zero point energy, zero point fluctuations)

'For particles of mass, m, we can expect one virtual particle in each cubical volume with sides given by the Compton wavelength of the particle, h/mc, where h is the Planck's constant.' The density of the vacuum according to QFT is-

[tex]\text{Vacuum density}\ (\rho_\Lambda)=\frac{m}{(h/mc)^3}=\frac{m^4c^3}{h^3}[/tex]

where h is Planck's constant in Joules/s, c is the speed of light and m would be the Planck mass (mP), the largest elementary particle mass 'usually considered' (presumably providing a top end figure for the QFT vacuum density)

Based on QM, the vacuum density works out at-

[tex]\text{Vacuum density}\ (\rho_\Lambda)=\frac{(2.176\times10^{-8})^4\ \times\ (3\times10^8)^3}{(6.626\times10^{-34})^3}[/tex]

= 2.077x10^94 kg/m^3 (!)

This density is the equivalent of the mass of the universe (2x10^53 kg) multiplied by 10^41, squeezed into a cubic metre! Therefore, something seems to be amiss with the QFT equation.

The vacuum density can also be expressed as vacuum energy (UΛ) by multiplying the density by c^2, which works out at 1.6x10^111 erg/cm^3. This is a staggering amount considering the centre of the sun is 2x10^17 erg/cm^3 and the erg figure for the cosmological observation is 0.6x10^-10 ergs/cm^3.

Based on this QM density for the vacuum, Lambda works out at-

[tex]\Lambda=\frac{8\pi G}{c^2}\ \times\ \text{Vacuum density}\ (\rho_\Lambda)= \frac{8\ \times\ 3.14159\ \times\ 6.6742\times10^{-11}}{9\times10^{16}}\ \times\ 2.077\times10^{94} [/tex]

= 3.876x10^68 m^-2 in geometric units

Compare this to Lambda in geometric units calculated using cosmology, Λ = 1.252x10^-52 m^-2, and there is a difference to the order of 120. This large discrepancy between cosmology observations and QFT calculations is often referred to as the cosmological constant problem and is currently one of the problems facing physicists today.

To account for this large difference, it is thought that there is some device in place where virtually all of this mass/energy is canceled out at quantum level, leaving the small amount we observe today that keeps our universe flat. One analogy would be when using long division to divide a large number; we generate a lot of intermediate numbers which we then discard once we have the answer. Is a lot of this energy temporary scaffolding used for calculations that vanish when the calculations are complete?​
This paper also looks like it covers the subject in some detail-
'The Quantum Vacuum and the Cosmological Constant Problem' by S.E. Rugh and H. Zinkernagel
http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/398/1/cosconstant.pdf

Other sources-
The Cosomological Problem- http://hendrix2.uoregon.edu/~imamura/123cs/lecture-8/lambda.html
The Compton wavelength- http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/lengths.html#compton_wavelength
 
Last edited:
  • #8
This answer has satisfied me.Thanks
I was expecting answer like this.
 

1. What is the Casimir Effect?

The Casimir Effect is a physical phenomenon in which two closely spaced parallel conductive plates experience an attractive force due to the presence of quantum fluctuations in the vacuum energy. This effect was first predicted by Dutch physicists Hendrik Casimir and Dirk Polder in 1948.

2. How does the Casimir Effect work?

The Casimir Effect is caused by the presence of virtual particles, or fluctuations, in the vacuum energy between two conductive plates. These particles constantly appear and disappear in pairs, and when the plates are brought close together, the space for these particles to exist is reduced. This creates a pressure imbalance, resulting in an attractive force between the plates.

3. What is the significance of the Casimir Effect?

The Casimir Effect is significant because it provides evidence for the existence of virtual particles and the quantum vacuum. It also has potential applications in nanotechnology, as it can be used to control and manipulate tiny objects on a nanoscale.

4. How is the energy density of the Casimir Effect calculated?

The energy density of the Casimir Effect can be calculated using the Casimir energy formula, which takes into account the size and shape of the plates, as well as the properties of the vacuum energy. This formula was derived by Russian physicist Evgeny Lifshitz in 1956.

5. Can the Casimir Effect be observed in everyday life?

The Casimir Effect is a very small force, and it is not noticeable in everyday life. However, it has been observed in laboratory experiments using highly sensitive equipment. It also plays a role in various physical phenomena, such as the stability of colloids and the behavior of black holes.

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