Vacuum Energy - Pair Production Confusion

Click For Summary
The discussion centers on the complexities of black hole evaporation and vacuum energy, particularly regarding virtual particles and pair production. Participants express confusion about how particles created from vacuum fluctuations can have varying energy levels, with one potentially exhibiting negative energy when observed at infinity. The conversation touches on the role of virtual particles as mathematical tools in quantum field theory, emphasizing their significance in phenomena like Hawking radiation and the Casimir effect. There is debate over whether virtual particles contribute to real energy and how annihilation processes conserve energy and momentum. Ultimately, the topic highlights the intricate relationship between energy, mass, and the nature of vacuum fluctuations in physics.
  • #31
malawi_glenn said:
...
Well this may be confusing. The definition of the vacuum to start with is the state with the lowest possible energy, and only energy differences matter : at this point with do not need perturbative methods. I think it is worth emphasizing before embarking into perturbative calculations of the energy of the fluctuations.
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #32
humanino said:
Well this may be confusing. The definition of the vacuum to start with is the state with the lowest possible energy, and only energy differences matter : at this point with do not need perturbative methods. I think it is worth emphasizing before embarking into perturbative calculations of the energy of the fluctuations.

I actually wrote something similar yesterday.. I thought it was in this particular thread.. that is why I wrote about perturbation calculations in my latest posts.. doh, I must get my memory back :D
 

Similar threads

I Hawking radiation and energy-negative energy pair production
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
B So, a black hole and an antimatter star bump into each other....
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Is there vacuum at the Event Horizon of a Black Hole?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
I Matter-Antimatter black hole collision
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
I Why do quantum physicists claim that particles can tunnel out of a quantum well?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
I The initial density of an object and its compression into a black hole
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
4K
B Does Negative Mass Play a Role in Hawking Radiation?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
B Does antimatter have positive or negative mass?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
I Four Questions on vacuum phase transitions in the Universe...
  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
3K
I Unruh Radiation and Black Holes
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K