The discussion centers on the nature of virtual particles, particularly in the context of the Unruh effect and their relationship with quasiparticles and real particles. Participants clarify that particles generated by the Unruh effect are virtual, akin to virtual photons in Coulomb interactions, and emphasize the necessity of a quasiparticle framework to describe actual particles in a hot bath scenario. The conversation also delves into the distinctions between virtual particles, quasiparticles, and real particles, highlighting the role of coherent states and the Bogoliubov transformation in quantum field theory. Key references include the Poincaré group and Weinberg's quantum field theory text.
PREREQUISITESPhysicists, quantum mechanics students, and researchers interested in the theoretical foundations of particle physics and the nuances of virtual particles in quantum field theory.
I would writeAccording to the Born rule, the distribution of a quantum observable gives the probabilities for measuring values for the observable in independent, identical preparations of the system in identical states. Thus the presence of a Gaussian distribution means that the attempt to measure the electromagnetic field in the vacuum state cannot be done with arbitrary precision but has an inherent uncertainty.
Yes, that's an improvement. I updated the page.vanhees71 said:According to the Born rule, the distribution of a quantum observable gives the probabilities for measuring values for the observable in independent, identical preparations of the system in identical states. Thus the presence of a Gaussian distribution means that the value of the electromagnetic field in the vacuum state is not determined with arbitrary precision but has an inherent uncertainty.