CasimirSim - A Tool to Compute Casimir Polder Forces for Nontrivial 3D Geometries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedmik, Rene; Tajmar, Martin

2007-01-01

The so-called Casimir effect is one of the most interesting macro-quantum effects. Being negligible on the macro-scale it becomes a governing factor below structure sizes of 1 μm where it accounts for typically 100 kN m-2. The force does not depend on gravity, or electric charge but solely on the materials properties, and geometrical shape. This makes the effect a strong candidate for micro(nano)-mechanical devices M(N)EMS. Despite a long history of research the theory lacks a uniform description valid for arbitrary geometries which retards technical application. We present an advanced state-of-the-art numerical tool overcoming all the usual geometrical restrictions, capable of calculating arbitrary 3D geometries by utilizing the Casimir Polder approximation for the Casimir force

Beyond-proximity-force-approximation Casimir force between two spheres at finite temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Bimonte, Giuseppe

2018-04-01

A recent experiment [J. L. Garrett, D. A. T. Somers, and J. N. Munday, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 040401 (2018), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.040401] measured for the first time the gradient of the Casimir force between two gold spheres at room temperature. The theoretical analysis of the data was carried out using the standard proximity force approximation (PFA). A fit of the data, using a parametrization of the force valid for the sphere-plate geometry, was used by the authors to place a bound on deviations from PFA. Motivated by this work, we compute the Casimir force between two gold spheres at finite temperature. The semianalytic formula for the Casimir force that we construct is valid for all separations, and can be easily used to interpret future experiments in both the sphere-plate and sphere-sphere configurations. We describe the correct parametrization of the corrections to PFA for two spheres that should be used in data analysis.

Casimir forces in the time domain: Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, Alejandro W.; McCauley, Alexander P.; Joannopoulos, John D.; Johnson, Steven G.

2009-01-01

We present a method to compute Casimir forces in arbitrary geometries and for arbitrary materials based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) scheme. The method involves the time evolution of electric and magnetic fields in response to a set of current sources, in a modified medium with frequency-independent conductivity. The advantage of this approach is that it allows one to exploit existing FDTD software, without modification, to compute Casimir forces. In this paper, we focus on the derivation, implementation choices, and essential properties of the time-domain algorithm, both considered analytically and illustrated in the simplest parallel-plate geometry.

Nonmonotonic Thermal Casimir Force from Geometry-Temperature Interplay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Alexej; Gies, Holger

2010-01-01

The geometry dependence of Casimir forces is significantly more pronounced in the presence of thermal fluctuations due to a generic geometry-temperature interplay. We show that the thermal force for standard sphere-plate or cylinder-plate geometries develops a nonmonotonic behavior already in the simple case of a fluctuating Dirichlet scalar. In particular, the attractive thermal force can increase for increasing distances below a critical temperature. This anomalous behavior is triggered by a reweighting of relevant fluctuations on the scale of the thermal wavelength. The essence of the phenomenon becomes transparent within the worldline picture of the Casimir effect.

Intensifying the Casimir force between two silicon substrates within three different layers of materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seyedzahedi, A.; Moradian, A.; Setare, M.R.

2016-01-01

We investigate the Casimir force for a system composed of two thick slabs as substrates within three different homogeneous layers. We use the scattering approach along with the Matsubara formalism in order to calculate the Casimir force at finite temperature. First, we focus on constructing the reflection matrices and then we calculate the Casimir force for a water–lipid system. According to the conventional use of silicon as a substrate, we apply the formalism to calculate the Casimir force for layers of Au, VO 2 , mica, KCl and foam rubber on the thick slabs of silicon. Afterwards, introducing an increasing factor, we compare our results with Lifshitz force in the vacuum between two semispaces of silicon in order to illustrate the influence of the layers on intensifying the Casimir force. We also calculate the Casimir force between two slabs of the forementioned materials with finite thicknesses to indicate the substrate's role in increasing the obtained Casimir force. Our simple calculation is interesting since one can extend it along with the Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis to systems containing inhomogeneous layers as good candidates for designing nanomechanical devices.

Intensifying the Casimir force between two silicon substrates within three different layers of materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seyedzahedi, A. [Department of Science, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Moradian, A., E-mail: a.moradian@uok.ac.ir [Department of Science, Campus of Bijar, University of Kurdistan, Bijar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Setare, M.R., E-mail: rezakord@ipm.ir [Department of Science, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-04-01

We investigate the Casimir force for a system composed of two thick slabs as substrates within three different homogeneous layers. We use the scattering approach along with the Matsubara formalism in order to calculate the Casimir force at finite temperature. First, we focus on constructing the reflection matrices and then we calculate the Casimir force for a water–lipid system. According to the conventional use of silicon as a substrate, we apply the formalism to calculate the Casimir force for layers of Au, VO{sub 2}, mica, KCl and foam rubber on the thick slabs of silicon. Afterwards, introducing an increasing factor, we compare our results with Lifshitz force in the vacuum between two semispaces of silicon in order to illustrate the influence of the layers on intensifying the Casimir force. We also calculate the Casimir force between two slabs of the forementioned materials with finite thicknesses to indicate the substrate's role in increasing the obtained Casimir force. Our simple calculation is interesting since one can extend it along with the Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis to systems containing inhomogeneous layers as good candidates for designing nanomechanical devices.

Numerical calculation of the Casimir forces between a gold sphere and a nanocomposite sheet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inui, Norio; Miura, Kouji; Akamatsu, Kensuke; Ishikawa, Makoto

2010-01-01

The repulsive Casimir force is expected as a force which enables to levitate small objects such as machine parts used in Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and superlubricity in MEMS may be realized by this levitation. We study the Casimir force between a gold sphere and a nanocomposite sheet containing many nickel nanoparticles. In particular, we focus on the dependence of the Casimir force on the separation between the gold sphere and the surface of the nanocomposite sheet. The Casimir force changes from the attractive force to the repulsive force as the separation increases. The strength of the repulsive force is, however, too small to levitate MEMS parts.

Numerical calculation of the Casimir forces between a gold sphere and a nanocomposite sheet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inui, Norio; Miura, Kouji; Akamatsu, Kensuke; Ishikawa, Makoto, E-mail: inui@eng.u-hyogo.ac.j, E-mail: kmiura@auecc.aichi-edu.ac.j, E-mail: akamatsu@center.konan-u.ac.j, E-mail: makoishi@auecc.aichi-edu.ac.j

2010-11-01

The repulsive Casimir force is expected as a force which enables to levitate small objects such as machine parts used in Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and superlubricity in MEMS may be realized by this levitation. We study the Casimir force between a gold sphere and a nanocomposite sheet containing many nickel nanoparticles. In particular, we focus on the dependence of the Casimir force on the separation between the gold sphere and the surface of the nanocomposite sheet. The Casimir force changes from the attractive force to the repulsive force as the separation increases. The strength of the repulsive force is, however, too small to levitate MEMS parts.

Measured long-range repulsive Casimir-Lifshitz forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Munday, J N; Capasso, Federico; Parsegian, V Adrian

2009-01-08

Quantum fluctuations create intermolecular forces that pervade macroscopic bodies. At molecular separations of a few nanometres or less, these interactions are the familiar van der Waals forces. However, as recognized in the theories of Casimir, Polder and Lifshitz, at larger distances and between macroscopic condensed media they reveal retardation effects associated with the finite speed of light. Although these long-range forces exist within all matter, only attractive interactions have so far been measured between material bodies. Here we show experimentally that, in accord with theoretical prediction, the sign of the force can be changed from attractive to repulsive by suitable choice of interacting materials immersed in a fluid. The measured repulsive interaction is found to be weaker than the attractive. However, in both cases the magnitude of the force increases with decreasing surface separation. Repulsive Casimir-Lifshitz forces could allow quantum levitation of objects in a fluid and lead to a new class of switchable nanoscale devices with ultra-low static friction.

Membrane actuation by Casimir force manipulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinto, Fabrizio

2008-01-01

In our laboratory, we have been developing a practical demonstration of actuation by means of the Casimir force inspired by the capacitive detection approach originally described by Arnold, Hunklinger and Dransfeld (1972 Rev. Sci. Instrum. 43 584-7). In this paper, we first describe the mathematical challenges pertaining to the electrostatic calibration of our measuring device, which has been enhanced by our recently published results regarding the computation of electrostatic fields in axial systems, such as the long-standing classical circular capacitor problem. We also discuss our computational approach to the calculation of the Casimir force in our system, including our adoption of analytical descriptions of the dielectric functions of semiconductors extended to the case of axial geometries. We will illustrate how the original AHD apparatus has been drastically improved upon, for instance by means of modern nanopositioner technology, and we shall discuss our published experimental results on the dynamics of a vibrating membrane with a central disc, which have provided the first direct verification of the mechanical resonances of such a system. The emphasis of our effort is not exclusively directed to fundamental physics research but is focused on, and ultimately motivated by, our goal of identifying viable industrial applications leading to commercially marketable products based on Casimir force actuation. Therefore we conclude this paper by briefly discussing the contribution we believe these results will offer to some current technological problems, in particular in nanotechnology, including some thoughts on the possibility that dispersion forces may enable a new and rapidly expanding industry to develop in the near future

Scattering theory approach to electrodynamic Casimir forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahi, Sahand Jamal; Kardar, Mehran; Emig, Thorsten; Graham, Noah; Jaffe, Robert L.

2009-01-01

We give a comprehensive presentation of methods for calculating the Casimir force to arbitrary accuracy, for any number of objects, arbitrary shapes, susceptibility functions, and separations. The technique is applicable to objects immersed in media other than vacuum, nonzero temperatures, and spatial arrangements in which one object is enclosed in another. Our method combines each object's classical electromagnetic scattering amplitude with universal translation matrices, which convert between the bases used to calculate scattering for each object, but are otherwise independent of the details of the individual objects. The method is illustrated by rederiving the Lifshitz formula for infinite half-spaces, by demonstrating the Casimir-Polder to van der Waals crossover, and by computing the Casimir interaction energy of two infinite, parallel, perfect metal cylinders either inside or outside one another. Furthermore, it is used to obtain new results, namely, the Casimir energies of a sphere or a cylinder opposite a plate, all with finite permittivity and permeability, to leading order at large separation.

Higher-order conductivity corrections to the Casimir force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezerra, Valdir Barbosa; Klimchitskaya, Galina; Mostepanenko, Vladimir

2000-01-01

Full text follows: Considerable recent attention has been focused on the new experiments on measuring the Casimir force. To be confident that experimental data fit theory at a level of several percent, a variety of corrections to the ideal expression for the Casimir force should be taken into account. One of the main corrections at small separations between interacting bodies is the one due to finite conductivity of the boundary metal. This correction has its origin in non-zero penetration depth δ 0 of electromagnetic vacuum oscillations into the metal (for a perfect metal of infinitely large conductivity δ 0 = 0). The other quantity of the dimension of length is the space separation a between two plates or a plate and a sphere. Their relation δ 0 /a is the natural perturbation parameter in which powers the corrections to the Casimir force due to finite conductivity can be expanded. Such an expansion works good for all separations a >> δ 0 (i.e. for separations larger than 100-150 nm). The first-order term of this expansion was calculated almost forty years ago, and the second-order one in 1985 [1]. These two terms are not sufficient for the comparison of the theory with precision modern experiments. In this talk we report the results of paper [2] where the third- and fourth-order terms in δ 0 /a expansion of the Casimir force were calculated first. They gave the possibility to achieve an excellent agreement of a theory and experiment. (author)

A Light Sail Inspired Model to Harness Casimir Forces for Propellantless Propulsion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeBiase, R. L.

2010-01-01

The model used to calculate Casimir forces for variously shaped conducting plates in this paper assumes the vacuum energy pervades all space and that photons randomly pop into and out of existence. While they exist, they possess energy and momentum that can be transferred by reflection as in a light sail. Quantum mechanics in the model is entirely bound up in the Casimir equation of force per unit area. This model is compared with two different experiments: that of Chen and Mohideen demonstrating lateral Casimir forces for sinusoidally corrugated spherical and flat plates and Lamoreaux demonstrating normal Casimir forces between a conducting sphere and flat plate. The calculated forces using this model were compared to the forces obtained in these experiments as well as with calculations using the proximity force approximation. In both cases the results (when compared to the actual plates measured and calculated using non-corrected equations) were less than a few parts per thousand different for the range of separation distances used. When the model was used to calculate forces on the opposite plates, different force magnitudes were obtained seemingly indicating prospects for propellentless propulsion but requiring skeptical verification.

Surface contact potential patches and Casimir force measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, W. J.; Sushkov, A. O.; Lamoreaux, S. K.; Dalvit, D. A. R.

2010-01-01

We present calculations of contact potential surface patch effects that simplify previous treatments. It is shown that, because of the linearity of Laplace's equation, the presence of patch potentials does not affect an electrostatic calibration of a two-plate Casimir measurement apparatus. Using models that include long-range variations in the contact potential across the plate surfaces, a number of experimental observations can be reproduced and explained. For these models, numerical calculations show that if a voltage is applied between the plates which minimizes the force, a residual electrostatic force persists, and that the minimizing potential varies with distance. The residual force can be described by a fit to a simple two-parameter function involving the minimizing potential and its variation with distance. We show the origin of this residual force by use of a simple parallel capacitor model. Finally, the implications of a residual force that varies in a manner different from 1/d on the accuracy of previous Casimir measurements is discussed.

Towards measurement of the Casimir force between parallel plates separated at sub-mircon distance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Syed Nawazuddin, M.B.; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Wiegerink, Remco J.; Berenschot, Johan W.; de Boer, Meint J.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

2011-01-01

Ever since its prediction, experimental investigation of the Casimir force has been of great scientific interest. Many research groups have successfully attempted quantifying the force with different device geometries; however measurement of the Casimir force between parallel plates with sub-micron

Present status of controversies regarding the thermal Casimir force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mostepanenko, V M; Bezerra, V B; Decca, R S; Geyer, B; Fischbach, E; Klimchitskaya, G L; Krause, D E; Lopez, D; Romero, C

2006-01-01

It is well known that, beginning in 2000, the behaviour of the thermal correction to the Casimir force between real metals has been hotly debated. As was shown by several research groups, the Lifshitz theory, which provides the theoretical foundation for the calculation of both the van der Waals and Casimir forces, leads to different results depending on the model of metal conductivity used. To resolve these controversies, theoretical considerations based on the principles of thermodynamics and new experimental tests were invoked. We analyse the present status of the problem (in particular, the advantages and disadvantages of the approaches based on the surface impedance and on the Drude model dielectric function) using rigorous analytical calculations of the entropy of a fluctuating field. We also discuss the results of a new precise experiment on the determination of the Casimir pressure between two parallel plates by means of a micromechanical torsional oscillator

Optical properties of gold films and the Casimir force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svetovoy, V. B.; Zwol, P. J. van; Palasantzas, G.; De Hosson, J. Th. M.

2008-01-01

Precise optical properties of metals are very important for accurate prediction of the Casimir force acting between two metallic plates. Therefore we measured ellipsometrically the optical responses of Au films in a wide range of wavelengths from 0.14 to 33 μm. The films at various thicknesses were deposited at different conditions on silicon or mica substrates. Considerable variation of the frequency dependent dielectric function from sample to sample was found. Detailed analysis of the dielectric functions was performed to check the Kramers-Kronig consistency, and extract the Drude parameters of the films. It was found that the plasma frequency varies in the range from 6.8 to 8.4 eV. It is suggested that this variation is related with the film density. X-ray reflectivity measurements support qualitatively this conclusion. The Casimir force is evaluated for the dielectric functions corresponding to our samples, and for that typically used in the precise prediction of the force. The force for our films was found to be 5%-14% smaller at a distance of 100 nm between the plates. Noise in the optical data is responsible for the force variation within 1%. It is concluded that prediction of the Casimir force between metals with a precision better than 10% must be based on the material optical response measured from visible to mid-infrared range

On convergence generation in computing the electro-magnetic Casimir force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuller, F.

2008-01-01

We tackle the very fundamental problem of zero-point energy divergence in the context of the Casimir effect. We calculate the Casimir force due to field fluctuations by using standard cavity radiation modes. The validity of convergence generation by means of an exponential energy cut-off factor is discussed in detail. (orig.)

Casimir-Lifshitz force out of thermal equilibrium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Antezza, M.; Pitaevskii, L.P.; Stringari, S.; Svetovoy, Vitaly

We study the Casimir-Lifshitz interaction out of thermal equilibrium, when the interacting objects are at different temperatures. The analysis is focused on the surface-surface, surface-rarefied body, and surface-atom configurations. A systematic investigation of the contributions to the force

Casimir-lifshitz force out of thermal equilibrium and asymptotic nonadditivity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Antezza, Mauro; Pitaevskii, Lev P.; Stringari, Sandro; Svetovoy, Vitaly

2006-01-01

We investigate the force acting between two parallel plates held at different temperatures. The force reproduces, as limiting cases, the well-known Casimir-Lifshitz surface-surface force at thermal equilibrium and the surface-atom force out of thermal equilibrium recently derived by M. Antezza et

Casimir stress inside planar materials

Science.gov (United States)

Griniasty, Itay; Leonhardt, Ulf

2017-09-01

The Casimir force between macroscopic bodies is well understood, but not the Casimir force inside bodies. Guided by a physically intuitive picture, we develop the macroscopic theory of the renormalized Casimir stress inside planar materials (where the electromagnetic properties vary in one direction). Our theory may be applied in predicting how inhomogeneous fluids respond to Casimir forces.

Critical Steps in Data Analysis for Precision Casimir Force Measurements with Semiconducting Films

Science.gov (United States)

Banishev, A. A.; Chang, Chia-Cheng; Mohideen, U.

2011-06-01

Some experimental procedures and corresponding results of the precision measurement of the Casimir force between low doped Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) film and gold sphere are described. Measurements were performed using an Atomic Force Microscope in high vacuum. It is shown that the magnitude of the Casimir force decreases after prolonged UV treatment of the ITO film. Some critical data analysis steps such as the correction for the mechanical drift of the sphere-plate system and photodiodes are discussed.

Casimir force in the Goedel space-time and its possible induced cosmological inhomogeneity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khodabakhshi, Sh. [University of Tehran, Department of Physics, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shojai, A. [University of Tehran, Department of Physics, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Foundations of Physics Group, School of Physics, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-07-15

The Casimir force between two parallel plates in the Goedel universe is computed for a scalar field at finite temperature. It is observed that when the plates' separation is comparable with the scale given by the rotation of the space-time, the force becomes repulsive and then approaches zero. Since it has been shown previously that the universe may experience a Goedel phase for a small period of time, the induced inhomogeneities from the Casimir force are also studied. (orig.)

Casimir-Lifshitz force for nonreciprocal media and applications to photonic topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, Sebastian; Lindel, Frieder; Krems, Roman V.; Hanson, George W.; Antezza, Mauro; Buhmann, Stefan Yoshi

2017-12-01

Based on the theory of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics, we generalize the expression of the Casimir force for nonreciprocal media. The essential ingredient of this result is the Green's tensor between two nonreciprocal semi-infinite slabs, including a reflexion matrix with four coefficients that mixes optical polarizations. This Green's tensor does not obey Lorentz's reciprocity and thus violates time-reversal symmetry. The general result for the Casimir force is analyzed in the retarded and nonretarded limits, concentrating on the influences arising from reflections with or without change of polarization. In a second step, we apply our general result to a photonic topological insulator whose nonreciprocity stems from an anisotropic permittivity tensor, namely InSb. We show that there is a regime for the distance between the slabs where the magnitude of the Casimir force is tunable by an external magnetic field. Furthermore, the strength of this tuning depends on the orientation of the magnetic field with respect to the slab surfaces.

Measurements of the Casimir-Lifshitz force in fluids: The effect of electrostatic forces and Debye screening

Science.gov (United States)

Munday, J. N.; Capasso, Federico; Parsegian, V. Adrian; Bezrukov, Sergey M.

2008-09-01

We present detailed measurements of the Casimir-Lifshitz force between two gold surfaces (a sphere and a plate) immersed in ethanol and study the effect of residual electrostatic forces, which are dominated by static fields within the apparatus and can be reduced with proper shielding. Electrostatic forces are further reduced by Debye screening through the addition of salt ions to the liquid. Additionally, the salt leads to a reduction of the Casimir-Lifshitz force by screening the zero-frequency contribution to the force; however, the effect is small between gold surfaces at the measured separations and within experimental error. An improved calibration procedure is described and compared with previous methods. Finally, the experimental results are compared with Lifshitz’s theory and found to be consistent for the materials used in the experiment.

Modeling the influence of the Casimir force on the pull-in instability of nanowire-fabricated nanotweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Farrokhabadi, Amin; Mokhtari, Javad; Rach, Randolph; Abadyan, Mohamadreza

2015-09-01

The Casimir force can strongly interfere with the pull-in performance of ultra-small structures. The strength of the Casimir force is significantly affected by the geometries of interacting bodies. Previous investigators have exclusively studied the effect of the Casimir force on the electromechanical instability of nanostructures with planar geometries. However no work has yet considered this effect on the pull-in instability of systems with cylindrical geometries such as nanotweezers fabricated from nanotube/nanowires. In our present work, the influence of the Casimir attraction on the electrostatic response and pull-in instability of nanotweezers fabricated from cylindrical conductive nanowires/nanotubes is theoretically investigated. An asymptotic solution, based on scattering theory, is applied to consider the effect of vacuum fluctuations in the theoretical model. The Euler-Bernoulli beam model is employed, in conjunction with the size-dependent modified couple stress continuum theory, to derive the governing equation of the nanotweezers. The governing nonlinear equations are solved by two different approaches, i.e., the modified Adomian-Padé method (MAD-Padé) and a numerical solution. Various aspects of the problem, i.e., the variation of pull-in parameters, effect of geometry, coupling between the Casimir force and size dependency effects and comparison with the van der Waals force regime are discussed.

Casimir Force Between Quantum Plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buenzli, P.

2005-01-01

Field fluctuations are responsible for an attractive force - the Casimir force - between two parallel (globally neutral) metallic plates separated by a distance d. At high temperature, or equivalently large d, this force is known to exhibit a classical and universal character (independent of the material constitution of the plates). In a recent work, we have displayed the microscopic mechanisms responsible for this universality within a classical model. The plates consist of slabs containing classical charged particles in fluid phase and thermal equilibrium (plasmas). The universality of the force proves to originate from screening sum rules satisfied by the charge correlations. Here we show how this result is altered when the quantum-mechanical nature of the particles is taken into account. It turns out that in addition to the classical result, the asymptotic force for large d comprises a non-universal quantum correction, which is, however, small at high temperature. The method relies on an exact representation of the charge correlations by quantum Mayer graphs, based on the Feynman-Kac path integral formalism. (author)

Casimir interaction between a cylinder and a plate at finite temperature: Exact results and comparison to proximity force approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teo, L. P.

2011-01-01

We study the finite temperature Casimir interaction between a cylinder and a plate using the exact formula derived from the Matsubara representation and the functional determinant representation. We consider the scalar field with Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. The asymptotic expansions of the Casimir free energy and the Casimir force when the separation a between the cylinder and the plate is small are derived. As in the zero temperature case, it is found that the leading terms of the Casimir free energy and the Casimir force agree with those derived from the proximity force approximation when rT>>1, where r is the radius of the cylinder. Specifically, when aT 5/2 whereas, for the Casimir force, it is of order T 7/2 . In this case, the leading terms are independent of the separation a. When 1 3/2 , whereas, for the force, it is inversely proportional to a 5/2 . The first order corrections to the proximity force approximations in different temperature regions are computed using the perturbation approach. In the zero temperature case, the results agree with those derived in [M. Bordag, Phys. Rev. D 73, 125018 (2006)].

Casimir force between two Aharonov-Bohm selenoids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duru, I.H.

1989-06-01

We show that a force of Casimir type case be associated with the Aharonov-Bohm effect. We consider two parallel, infinitely long and thin selenoids confining the quantized fluxes n 1 and n 2 within them. Using the Green function method, the vacuum expectation value of the system's energy which includes ''self interaction'' terms and a finite ''mutual interaction'' term is calculated. 8 refs

Characterization of FGM micro-switches under electrostatic and Casimir forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, X L; Kitipornchai, S; Yang, J

2010-01-01

This paper aims to investigate the nonlinear pull-in characteristics of the micro-switches made of either homogeneous material or non-homogeneous functionally graded material (FGM) with two material phases under the combined electrostatic and intermolecular Casimir force. Principle of virtual work is used to derive the governing differential equation which is then solved using differential quadrature method (DQM). Pull-in voltage and pull-in deflection are obtained for micro-switches with three different boundary conditions (i.e. fixed-fixed, simple-fixed, and simply supported). The present solutions are validated through direct comparisons with experimental and other existing results reported in previous studies. A parametric study is conducted to show the significant effects of material composition, gap ratio, slenderness ratio, Casimir force, axial residual stress on the pull-in instability.

Casimir effect in the presence of metamaterials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kort-Kamp, W.J.M.; Pinheiro, F.A.; Maia Neto, P.A.; Farina, C. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil); Rosa, F.S.S. [Universite Paris-Sud (France). Lab. Charles Fabry

2011-07-01

Full text: The Casimir effect was theoretically predicted in 1948 by H. G. B. Casimir. In its original form, it is the attraction between two parallel plates made of perfectly conductors in vacuum. The novelty in the Casimir result was the method used and not the fact that two neutral bodies attract each other, since the force between two neutral, but polarizable, atoms was previously treated by London in 1930. Casimir demonstrated that the force between the plates could be calculated from the variation in the zero-point energy of the quantized electromagnetic field caused by the presence of the plates. Nowadays there is no doubt about the existence of this effect, which has been observed in the last decade in experiments of great precision. Casimir forces play an important role in nanotechnology, in particular in the study of micro- and nano-electromechanical systems, because these forces become dominant in the nanoscopic scale. Casimir forces are responsible for an attraction of individual parts of these devices, making them eventually to stick together. As a result, attractive Casimir forces constitute a nuisance for practical applications. Therefore the investigation of a repulsive Casimir force is of great current interest. It has been recently argued that Casimir repulsion could be obtained by an adequate choice of artificial materials, the so-called metamaterials, with engineered electromagnetic properties [R. Zhao et al, PRL 103, 103602 (2009)]. In this work we investigate the interaction between an atom and a chiral metamaterial plate. Using realistic parameters, obtained from recent experiments and computer simulations, we show that state-of-the-art chiral metamaterials are not able generate Casimir repulsive forces. We also investigate the possibility of magneto-optical metamaterials to exhibit a repulsive Casimir force. To accomplish this, we discuss the dispersive interaction between a magneto-optical sphere and a chiral surface or a magneto

Three-dimensional Casimir piston for massive scalar fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, S.C.; Teo, L.P.

2009-01-01

We consider Casimir force acting on a three-dimensional rectangular piston due to a massive scalar field subject to periodic, Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. Exponential cut-off method is used to derive the Casimir energy. It is shown that the divergent terms do not contribute to the Casimir force acting on the piston, thus render a finite well-defined Casimir force acting on the piston. Explicit expressions for the total Casimir force acting on the piston is derived, which show that the Casimir force is always attractive for all the different boundary conditions considered. As a function of a - the distance from the piston to the opposite wall, it is found that the magnitude of the Casimir force behaves like 1/a 4 when a→0 + and decays exponentially when a→∞. Moreover, the magnitude of the Casimir force is always a decreasing function of a. On the other hand, passing from massless to massive, we find that the effect of the mass is insignificant when a is small, but the magnitude of the force is decreased for large a in the massive case.

Casimir effect and the quantum vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaffe, R.L.

2005-01-01

In discussions of the cosmological constant, the Casimir effect is often invoked as decisive evidence that the zero-point energies of quantum fields are ''real.'' On the contrary, Casimir effects can be formulated and Casimir forces can be computed without reference to zero-point energies. They are relativistic, quantum forces between charges and currents. The Casimir force (per unit area) between parallel plates vanishes as α, the fine structure constant, goes to zero, and the standard result, which appears to be independent of α, corresponds to the α→∞ limit

Nonlinear dynamics of a rack-pinion-rack device powered by the Casimir force.

Science.gov (United States)

Miri, MirFaez; Nekouie, Vahid; Golestanian, Ramin

2010-01-01

Using the lateral Casimir force-a manifestation of the quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field between objects with corrugated surfaces-as the main force transduction mechanism, a nanomechanical device with rich dynamical behaviors is proposed. The device is made of two parallel racks that are moving in the same direction and a pinion in the middle that couples with both racks via the noncontact lateral Casimir force. The built-in frustration in the device causes it to be very sensitive and react dramatically to minute changes in the geometrical parameters and initial conditions of the system. The noncontact nature of the proposed device could help with the ubiquitous wear problem in nanoscale mechanical systems.

Spatial dispersion in Casimir forces: a brief review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esquivel-Sirvent, R [Instituto de FIsica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 20-364, 01000 Distrito Federal (Mexico); Villarreal, C [Instituto de FIsica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 20-364, 01000 Distrito Federal (Mexico); Mochan, W L [Centro de Ciencias FIsicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 48-3, 62251 Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico); Contreras-Reyes, A M [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 9QH (United Kingdom); Svetovoy, V B [MESA Research Institute, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

2006-05-26

We present the basic principles of non-local optics in connection with the calculation of the Casimir force between half-spaces and thin films. At currently accessible distances L, non-local corrections amount to about half a per cent, but they increase roughly as 1/L at smaller separations. Self-consistent models lead to corrections with the opposite sign as models with abrupt surfaces.

Detecting Casimir torque with an optically levitated nanorod

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhujing; Li, Tongcang

2017-09-01

The linear momentum and angular momentum of virtual photons of quantum vacuum fluctuations can induce the Casimir force and the Casimir torque, respectively. While the Casimir force has been measured extensively, the Casimir torque has not been observed experimentally though it was predicted over 40 years ago. Here we propose to detect the Casimir torque with an optically levitated nanorod near a birefringent plate in vacuum. The axis of the nanorod tends to align with the polarization direction of the linearly polarized optical tweezer. When its axis is not parallel or perpendicular to the optical axis of the birefringent crystal, it will experience a Casimir torque that shifts its orientation slightly. We calculate the Casimir torque and Casimir force acting on a levitated nanorod near a birefringent crystal. We also investigate the effects of thermal noise and photon recoils on the torque and force detection. We prove that a levitated nanorod in vacuum will be capable of detecting the Casimir torque under realistic conditions, and will be an important tool in precision measurements.

Geometry and spectrum of Casimir forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buescher, Rauno; Emig, Thorsten

2005-01-01

We present a new approach to the Helmholtz spectrum for arbitrarily shaped boundaries and general boundary conditions. We derive the boundary induced change of the density of states in terms of the free Green's function from which we obtain nonperturbative results for the Casimir interaction between rigid surfaces. As an example, we compute the lateral electrodynamic force between two corrugated surfaces over a wide parameter range. Universal behavior, fixed only by the largest wavelength component of the surface shape, is identified at large surface separations, complementing known short distance expansions which we also reproduce with high precision

Improved tests of extra-dimensional physics and thermal quantum field theory from new Casimir force measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decca, R.S.; Fischbach, E.; Klimchitskaya, G.L.; Mostepanenko, V.M.; Krause, D.E.; Lopez, D.

2003-01-01

We report new constraints on extra-dimensional models and other physics beyond the standard model based on measurements of the Casimir force between two dissimilar metals for separations in the range 0.2-1.2 μm. The Casimir force between a Au-coated sphere and a Cu-coated plate of a microelectromechanical torsional oscillator was measured statically with an absolute error of 0.3 pN. In addition, the Casimir pressure between two parallel plates was determined dynamically with an absolute error of ≅0.6 mPa. Within the limits of experimental and theoretical errors, the results are in agreement with a theory that takes into account the finite conductivity and roughness of the two metals. The level of agreement between experiment and theory was then used to set limits on the predictions of extra-dimensional physics and thermal quantum field theory. It is shown that two theoretical approaches to the thermal Casimir force which predict effects linear in temperature are ruled out by these experiments. Finally, constraints on Yukawa corrections to Newton's law of gravity are strengthened by more than an order of magnitude in the range 56-330 nm

Johnson-Nyquist noise and the Casimir force between real metals at nonzero temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bimonte, Giuseppe

2008-01-01

It has been well known for a long time that all lossy conductors at finite temperature display an electronic noise, the Johnson-Nyquist noise, arising from the thermal agitation of electric charges inside the conductor. The existence of this noise implies that two nearby discharged conductors at finite temperature should repel each other, as a result of the electrodynamic interaction between the Johnson-Nyquist currents in either conductor and the eddy currents they induce in the other. It is suggested that this force is at the origin of the recently discovered large repulsive correction to the thermal Casimir force between two lossy metallic plates. Further support for this physical picture is obtained by studying a simple system of two linear noisy antennas. Using elementary concepts from circuit theory, we show that the repulsive force engendered by the Johnson-Nyquist noise results in the same kind of thermodynamic inconsistencies found in the Casimir problem. We show that all inconsistencies are however resolved if account is taken of capacitive effects associated with the end points of the antennas. Our findings therefore suggest that capacitive effects resulting from the finite size of the plates may be essential for a resolution of the analogous problems met in the thermal Casimir effect

Implications of the Babinet Principle for Casimir interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maghrebi, Mohammad F.; Jaffe, Robert L.; Abravanel, Ronen

2011-01-01

We formulate the Babinet Principle (BP) as a relation between scattering amplitudes and combine it with multiple scattering techniques to derive new properties of electromagnetic Casimir forces. We show that the Casimir force exerted by a planar conductor or dielectric on a self-complementary perforated planar mirror is approximately half that on a uniform mirror independent of the distance between them. Also, the BP suggests that Casimir edge effects are generically anomalously small. Furthermore, the BP can be used to relate any planar object to its complementary geometry, a relation we use to estimate Casimir forces between two screens with apertures.

Implications of the Babinet Principle for Casimir interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Maghrebi, Mohammad F.; Jaffe, Robert L.; Abravanel, Ronen

2011-09-01

We formulate the Babinet Principle (BP) as a relation between scattering amplitudes and combine it with multiple scattering techniques to derive new properties of electromagnetic Casimir forces. We show that the Casimir force exerted by a planar conductor or dielectric on a self-complementary perforated planar mirror is approximately half that on a uniform mirror independent of the distance between them. Also, the BP suggests that Casimir edge effects are generically anomalously small. Furthermore, the BP can be used to relate any planar object to its complementary geometry, a relation we use to estimate Casimir forces between two screens with apertures.

Repulsive Casimir and Casimir–Polder forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milton, Kimball A; Abalo, E K; Parashar, Prachi; Pourtolami, Nima; Brevik, Iver; Ellingsen, Simen Å

2012-01-01

Casimir and Casimir–Polder repulsions have been known for more than 50 years. The general ‘Lifshitz’ configuration of parallel semi-infinite dielectric slabs permits repulsion if they are separated by a dielectric fluid that has a value of permittivity that is intermediate between those of the dielectric slabs. This was indirectly confirmed in the 1970s, and more directly by Capasso’s group recently. It has also been known for many years that electrically and magnetically polarizable bodies can experience a repulsive quantum vacuum force. More amenable to practical application are situations where repulsion could be achieved between ordinary conducting and dielectric bodies in vacuum. The status of the field of Casimir repulsion with emphasis on some recent developments will be surveyed. Here, stress will be placed on analytic developments, especially on Casimir–Polder (CP) interactions between anisotropically polarizable atoms, and CP interactions between anisotropic atoms and bodies that also exhibit anisotropy, either because of anisotropic constituents, or because of geometry. Repulsion occurs for wedge-shaped and cylindrical conductors, provided the geometry is sufficiently asymmetric, that is, either the wedge is sufficiently sharp or the atom is sufficiently far from the cylinder. This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical in honour of Stuart Dowker’s 75th birthday devoted to ‘Applications of zeta functions and other spectral functions in mathematics and physics’. (review)

Is zero-point energy physical? A toy model for Casimir-like effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolić, Hrvoje

2017-01-01

Zero-point energy is generally known to be unphysical. Casimir effect, however, is often presented as a counterexample, giving rise to a conceptual confusion. To resolve the confusion we study foundational aspects of Casimir effect at a qualitative level, but also at a quantitative level within a simple toy model with only 3 degrees of freedom. In particular, we point out that Casimir vacuum is not a state without photons, and not a ground state for a Hamiltonian that can describe Casimir force. Instead, Casimir vacuum can be related to the photon vacuum by a non-trivial Bogoliubov transformation, and it is a ground state only for an effective Hamiltonian describing Casimir plates at a fixed distance. At the fundamental microscopic level, Casimir force is best viewed as a manifestation of van der Waals forces. - Highlights: • A toy model for Casimir-like effect with only 3 degrees of freedom is constructed. • Casimir vacuum can be related to the photon vacuum by a non-trivial Bogoliubov transformation. • Casimir vacuum is a ground state only for an effective Hamiltonian describing Casimir plates at a fixed distance. • At the fundamental microscopic level, Casimir force is best viewed as a manifestation of van der Waals forces.

Roughness corrections to the Casimir force : The importance of local surface slope

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Zwol, P. J.; Palasantzas, G.; De Hosson, J. Th. M.

2007-01-01

This paper concentrates on a study where finite conductivity corrections are included in the theoretical description of the effects of roughness on the Casimir force. The roughness data were taken from gold films evaporated onto silicon and polysterene spheres. We conclude that for a detailed

On electrostatic and Casimir force measurements between conducting surfaces in a sphere-plane configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, W J; Brown-Hayes, M; Brownell, J H; Dalvit, D A R; Onofrio, R

2009-01-01

We report on measurements of forces acting between two conducting surfaces in a spherical-plane configuration in the 35 nm-1 μm separation range. The measurements are obtained by performing electrostatic calibrations followed by a residuals analysis after subtracting the electrostatic-dependent component. We find in all runs optimal fitting of the calibrations for exponents smaller than the one predicted by electrostatics for an ideal sphere-plane geometry. We also find that the external bias potential necessary to minimize the electrostatic contribution depends on the sphere-plane distance. In spite of these anomalies, by implementing a parametrization-dependent subtraction of the electrostatic contribution we have found evidence for short-distance attractive forces of magnitude comparable to the expected Casimir-Lifshitz force. We finally discuss the relevance of our findings in the more general context of Casimir-Lifshitz force measurements, with particular regard to the critical issues of the electrical and geometrical characterization of the involved surfaces.

Modifying the Casimir force between indium tin oxide film and Au sphere

Science.gov (United States)

Banishev, A. A.; Chang, C.-C.; Castillo-Garza, R.; Klimchitskaya, G. L.; Mostepanenko, V. M.; Mohideen, U.

2012-01-01

We present complete results of the experiment on measuring the Casimir force between an Au-coated sphere and an untreated or, alternatively, UV-treated indium tin oxide (ITO) film deposited on a quartz substrate. Measurements were performed using an atomic force microscope in a high vacuum chamber. The measurement system was calibrated electrostatically. Special analysis of the systematic deviations is performed, and respective corrections in the calibration parameters are introduced. The corrected parameters are free from anomalies discussed in the literature. The experimental data for the Casimir force from two measurement sets for both untreated and UV-treated samples are presented. The random, systematic, and total experimental errors are determined at a 95% confidence level. It is demonstrated that the UV treatment of an ITO plate results in a significant decrease in the magnitude of the Casimir force (from 21% to 35% depending on separation). However, ellipsometry measurements of the imaginary parts of dielectric permittivities of the untreated and UV-treated samples did not reveal any significant differences. The experimental data are compared with computations in the framework of the Lifshitz theory. It is found that the data for the untreated sample are in a very good agreement with theoretical results taking into account the free charge carriers in an ITO film. For the UV-treated sample the data exclude the theoretical results obtained with account of free charge carriers. These data are in very good agreement with computations disregarding the contribution of free carriers in the dielectric permittivity. According to the hypothetical explanation provided, this is caused by the phase transition of the ITO film from metallic to dielectric state caused by the UV treatment. Possible applications of the discovered phenomenon in nanotechnology are discussed.

Reply to 'Comment on 'Temperature dependence of the Casimir force for lossy bulk media''

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yampol' skii, V. A.; Maizelis, Z. A.; Apostolov, S. S. [Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, 351-0198 (Japan); A. Ya. Usikov Institute for Radiophysics and Electronics, NASU, 61085 Kharkov (Ukraine); Savel' ev, Sergey [Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, 351-0198 (Japan); Department of Physics, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Nori, Franco [Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, 351-0198 (Japan); Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

2011-09-15

Here, we present an estimate of the characteristic wavelengths of the evanescent modes, which define the main contribution to the thermal part of the Casimir force. This estimate is more precise than the one in the preceding Comment by Bimonte et al.[Phys. Rev. A 84, 036501 (2011)]. The wavelengths we derive are indeed smaller than the sizes of the interacting bodies. We also discuss the results of several experiments on the thermal effects in the Casimir force.

Casimir stress in an inhomogeneous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philbin, T.G.; Xiong, C.; Leonhardt, U.

2010-01-01

The Casimir effect in an inhomogeneous dielectric is investigated using Lifshitz's theory of electromagnetic vacuum energy. A permittivity function that depends continuously on one Cartesian coordinate is chosen, bounded on each side by homogeneous dielectrics. The result for the Casimir stress is infinite everywhere inside the inhomogeneous region, a divergence that does not occur for piece-wise homogeneous dielectrics with planar boundaries. A Casimir force per unit volume can be extracted from the infinite stress but it diverges on the boundaries between the inhomogeneous medium and the homogeneous dielectrics. An alternative regularization of the vacuum stress is considered that removes the contribution of the inhomogeneity over small distances, where macroscopic electromagnetism is invalid. The alternative regularization yields a finite Casimir stress inside the inhomogeneous region, but the stress and force per unit volume diverge on the boundaries with the homogeneous dielectrics. The case of inhomogeneous dielectrics with planar boundaries thus falls outside the current understanding of the Casimir effect.

Casimir effect on the brane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flachi, Antonino; Tanaka, Takahiro

2009-01-01

We consider the Casimir effect between two parallel plates localized on a brane. We argue that in order to properly compute the contribution to the Casimir energy due to any higher dimensional field, it is necessary to take into account the localization properties of the Kaluza-Klein modes. When the bulk field configuration is such that no massless mode appears in the spectrum, as, for instance, when the higher dimensional field obeys twisted boundary conditions across the branes, the correction to the Casimir energy is exponentially suppressed. When a massless mode is present in the spectrum, the correction to the Casimir energy can be, in principle, sizeable. However, when the bulk field is massless and strongly coupled to brane matter, the model is already excluded without resorting to any Casimir force experiment. The case which is in principle interesting is when the massless mode is not localized on the visible brane. We illustrate a method to compute the Casimir energy between two parallel plates, localized on the visible brane, approximating the Kaluza-Klein spectrum by truncation at the first excited mode. We treat this case by considering a pistonlike configuration and introduce a small parameter, ε, that takes into account the relative amplitude of the zero-mode wave function on the visible brane with respect to the massive excitation. We find that the Casimir energy is suppressed by two factors: at lowest order in ε, the correction to the Casimir energy comes entirely from the massive mode and turns out to be exponentially suppressed; the next-to-leading order correction in ε follows, instead, a power-law suppression due to the small wave-function overlap of the zero mode with matter confined on the visible brane. Generic comments on the constraints on new physics that may arise from Casimir force experiments are also made.

Free vibration of geometrically nonlinear micro-switches under electrostatic and Casimir forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, X L; Kitipornchai, S; Lim, C W; Yang, J

2010-01-01

This paper investigates the free vibration characteristics of micro-switches under combined electrostatic, intermolecular forces and axial residual stress, with an emphasis on the effect of geometric nonlinear deformation due to mid-plane stretching and the influence of Casimir force. The micro-switch considered in this study is made of either homogeneous material or non-homogeneous functionally graded material with two material phases. The Euler–Bernoulli beam theory with von Karman type nonlinear kinematics is applied in the theoretical formulation. The principle of virtual work is used to derive the nonlinear governing differential equation. The eigenvalue problem which describes free vibration of the micro-beam at its statically deflected state is then solved using the differential quadrature method. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of micro-switches for four different boundary conditions (i.e. clamped–clamped, clamped–simply supported, simply supported and clamped–free) are obtained. The solutions are validated through direct comparisons with experimental and other existing results reported in previous studies. A parametric study is conducted to show the significant effects of geometric nonlinearity, Casimir force, axial residual stress and material composition for the natural frequencies

Constraints on Stable Equilibria with Fluctuation-Induced (Casimir) Forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahi, Sahand Jamal; Kardar, Mehran; Emig, Thorsten

2010-01-01

We examine whether fluctuation-induced forces can lead to stable levitation. First, we analyze a collection of classical objects at finite temperature that contain fixed and mobile charges and show that any arrangement in space is unstable to small perturbations in position. This extends Earnshaw's theorem for electrostatics by including thermal fluctuations of internal charges. Quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field are responsible for Casimir or van der Waals interactions. Neglecting permeabilities, we find that any equilibrium position of items subject to such forces is also unstable if the permittivities of all objects are higher or lower than that of the enveloping medium, the former being the generic case for ordinary materials in vacuum.

Constraints on stable equilibria with fluctuation-induced (Casimir) forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahi, Sahand Jamal; Kardar, Mehran; Emig, Thorsten

2010-08-13

We examine whether fluctuation-induced forces can lead to stable levitation. First, we analyze a collection of classical objects at finite temperature that contain fixed and mobile charges and show that any arrangement in space is unstable to small perturbations in position. This extends Earnshaw's theorem for electrostatics by including thermal fluctuations of internal charges. Quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field are responsible for Casimir or van der Waals interactions. Neglecting permeabilities, we find that any equilibrium position of items subject to such forces is also unstable if the permittivities of all objects are higher or lower than that of the enveloping medium, the former being the generic case for ordinary materials in vacuum.

Virtual photons in imaginary time: Computing exact Casimir forces via standard numerical electromagnetism techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, Alejandro; Ibanescu, Mihai; Joannopoulos, J. D.; Johnson, Steven G.; Iannuzzi, Davide

2007-01-01

We describe a numerical method to compute Casimir forces in arbitrary geometries, for arbitrary dielectric and metallic materials, with arbitrary accuracy (given sufficient computational resources). Our approach, based on well-established integration of the mean stress tensor evaluated via the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, is designed to directly exploit fast methods developed for classical computational electromagnetism, since it only involves repeated evaluation of the Green's function for imaginary frequencies (equivalently, real frequencies in imaginary time). We develop the approach by systematically examining various formulations of Casimir forces from the previous decades and evaluating them according to their suitability for numerical computation. We illustrate our approach with a simple finite-difference frequency-domain implementation, test it for known geometries such as a cylinder and a plate, and apply it to new geometries. In particular, we show that a pistonlike geometry of two squares sliding between metal walls, in both two and three dimensions with both perfect and realistic metallic materials, exhibits a surprising nonmonotonic ''lateral'' force from the walls

Lateral Casimir-Polder forces by breaking time-reversal symmetry

Science.gov (United States)

Oude Weernink, Ricardo R. Q. P. T.; Barcellona, Pablo; Buhmann, Stefan Yoshi

2018-03-01

We examine the lateral Casimir-Polder force acting on a circular rotating emitter near a dielectric plane surface. As the circular motion breaks time-reversal symmetry, the spontaneous emission in a direction parallel to the surface is in general anisotropic. We show that a lateral force arises which can be interpreted as a recoil force because of this asymmetric emission. The force is an oscillating function of the distance between the emitter and the surface, and the lossy character of the dielectric strongly influences the results in the near-field regime. The force exhibits also a population-induced dynamics, decaying exponentially with respect to time on time scales of the inverse of the spontaneous decay rate. We propose that this effect could be detected measuring the velocity acquired by the emitter, following different cycles of excitation and spontaneous decay. Our results are expressed in terms of the Green's tensor and can therefore easily be applied to more complex geometries.

Nonlinear (Anharmonic Casimir Oscillator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Habibollah Razmi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We want to study the dynamics of a simple linear harmonic micro spring which is under the influence of the quantum Casimir force/pressure and thus behaves as a (an nonlinear (anharmonic Casimir oscillator. Generally, the equation of motion of this nonlinear micromechanical Casimir oscillator has no exact solvable (analytical solution and the turning point(s of the system has (have no fixed position(s; however, for particular values of the stiffness of the micro spring and at appropriately well-chosen distance scales and conditions, there is (are approximately sinusoidal solution(s for the problem (the variable turning points are collected in a very small interval of positions. This, as a simple and elementary plan, may be useful in controlling the Casimir stiction problem in micromechanical devices.

Tuning the Mass of Chameleon Fields in Casimir Force Experiments

CERN Document Server

Brax, Ph; Davis, A C; Shaw, D J; Iannuzzi, D

2010-01-01

We have calculated the chameleon pressure between two parallel plates in the presence of an intervening medium that affects the mass of the chameleon field. As intuitively expected, the gas in the gap weakens the chameleon interaction mechanism with a screening effect that increases with the plate separation and with the density of the intervening medium. This phenomenon might open up new directions in the search of chameleon particles with future long range Casimir force experiments.

Fermionic Casimir effect with helix boundary condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, Xiang-hua; Li, Xin-zhou; Feng, Chao-Jun

2011-01-01

In this paper, we consider the fermionic Casimir effect under a new type of space-time topology using the concept of quotient topology. The relation between the new topology and that in Feng and Li (Phys. Lett. B 691:167, 2010), Zhai et al. (Mod. Phys. Lett. A 26:669, 2011) is something like that between a Moebius strip and a cylindric. We obtain the exact results of the Casimir energy and force for the massless and massive Dirac fields in the (D+1)-dimensional space-time. For both massless and massive cases, there is a Z 2 symmetry for the Casimir energy. To see the effect of the mass, we compare the result with that of the massless one and we found that the Casimir force approaches the result of the force in the massless case when the mass tends to zero and vanishes when the mass tends to infinity. (orig.)

Virtual photons in imaginary time: Computing exact Casimir forces via standard numerical electromagnetism techniques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rodriguez, A.; Ibanescu, M.; Iannuzzi, D.; Joannopoulos, J. D.; Johnson, S.T.

2007-01-01

We describe a numerical method to compute Casimir forces in arbitrary geometries, for arbitrary dielectric and metallic materials, with arbitrary accuracy (given sufficient computational resources). Our approach, based on well-established integration of the mean stress tensor evaluated via the

Calculation of nonzero-temperature Casimir forces in the time domain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Kai; Reid, M. T. Homer; McCauley, Alexander P.; Rodriguez, Alejandro W.; White, Jacob K.; Johnson, Steven G.

2011-01-01

We show how to compute Casimir forces at nonzero temperatures with time-domain electromagnetic simulations, for example, using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Compared to our previous zero-temperature time-domain method, only a small modification is required, but we explain that some care is required to properly capture the zero-frequency contribution. We validate the method against analytical and numerical frequency-domain calculations, and show a surprising high-temperature disappearance of a nonmonotonic behavior previously demonstrated in a pistonlike geometry.

Energy shift and Casimir-Polder force for an atom out of thermal equilibrium near a dielectric substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Wenting; Yu, Hongwei

2014-09-01

We study the energy shift and the Casimir-Polder force of an atom out of thermal equilibrium near the surface of a dielectric substrate. We first generalize, adopting the local source hypothesis, the formalism proposed by Dalibard, Dupont-Roc, and Cohen-Tannoudji [J. Phys. (Paris) 43, 1617 (1982), 10.1051/jphys:0198200430110161700; J. Phys. (Paris) 45, 637 (1984), 10.1051/jphys:01984004504063700], which separates the contributions of thermal fluctuations and radiation reaction to the energy shift and allows a distinct treatment of atoms in the ground and excited states, to the case out of thermal equilibrium, and then we use the generalized formalism to calculate the energy shift and the Casimir-Polder force of an isotropically polarizable neutral atom. We identify the effects of the thermal fluctuations that originate from the substrate and the environment and discuss in detail how the Casimir-Polder force out of thermal equilibrium behaves in three different distance regions in both the low-temperature limit and the high-temperature limit for both the ground-state and excited-state atoms, with special attention devoted to the distinctive features as opposed to thermal equilibrium. In particular, we recover the distinctive behavior of the atom-wall force out of thermal equilibrium at large distances in the low-temperature limit recently found in a different theoretical framework, and furthermore we give a concrete region where this behavior holds.

Exact results for the behavior of the thermodynamic Casimir force in a model with a strong adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

Dantchev, Daniel M.; Vassilev, Vassil M.; Djondjorov, Peter A.

2016-09-01

When massless excitations are limited or modified by the presence of material bodies one observes a force acting between them generally called Casimir force. Such excitations are present in any fluid system close to its true bulk critical point. We derive exact analytical results for both the temperature and external ordering field behavior of the thermodynamic Casimir force within the mean-field Ginzburg-Landau Ising type model of a simple fluid or binary liquid mixture. We investigate the case when under a film geometry the boundaries of the system exhibit strong adsorption onto one of the phases (components) of the system. We present analytical and numerical results for the (temperature-field) relief map of the force in both the critical region of the film close to its finite-size or bulk critical points as well as in the capillary condensation regime below but close to the finite-size critical point.

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geyer, B.; Klimchitskaya, G.L.; Mostepanenko, V.M.

2004-01-01

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

Rigorous approach to the comparison between experiment and theory in Casimir force measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klimchitskaya, G L; Chen, F; Decca, R S; Fischbach, E; Krause, D E; Lopez, D; Mohideen, U; Mostepanenko, V M

2006-01-01

In most experiments on the Casimir force the comparison between measurement data and theory was done using the concept of the root-mean-square deviation, a procedure that has been criticized in the literature. Here we propose a special statistical analysis which should be performed separately for the experimental data and for the results of the theoretical computations. In so doing, the random, systematic and total experimental errors are found as functions of separation, taking into account the distribution laws for each error at 95% confidence. Independently, all theoretical errors are combined to obtain the total theoretical error at the same confidence. Finally, the confidence interval for the differences between theoretical and experimental values is obtained as a function of separation. This rigorous approach is applied to two recent experiments on the Casimir effect

An ``Anatomic approach" to study the Casimir effect

Science.gov (United States)

Intravaia, Francesco; Haakh, Harald; Henkel, Carsten

2010-03-01

The Casimir effect, in its simplest definition, is a quantum mechanical force between two objects placed in vacuum. In recent years the Casimir force has been the object of an exponentially growing attention both from theorists and experimentalists. A new generation of experiments paved the way for new challenges and spotted some shadows in the comparison to theory. Here we are going to isolate different contributions to the Casimir interaction and perform a detailed study to shine new light on this phenomenon. As an example, the contributions of Foucault (eddy current) modes will be discussed in different configurations. This ``anatomic approach'' allows to clearly put into evidence special features and to explain unusual behaviors. This brings new physical understanding on the undergoing physical mechanisms and suggests new ways to engineer the Casimir effect.

Experiment, theory and the Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mostepanenko, V M

2009-01-01

Several problems at the interface between the field-theoretical description of the Casimir effect and experiments on measuring the Casimir force are discussed. One of these problems is connected with the definition of the Casimir free energy in ideal metal rectangular boxes satisfying the general physical requirements. It is shown that the consideration of rectangular boxes with a partition (piston) does not negate the previously known results obtained for boxes without a piston. Both sets of results are found to be in mutual agreement. Another problem is related to the use of the proximity force approximation for the interpretation of the experimental data and to the search of analytical results beyond the PFA based on the first principles of quantum field theory. Next, we discuss concepts of experimental precision and of the measure of agreement between experiment and theory. The fundamental difference between these two concepts is clarified. Finally, recent approach to the thermal Casimir force taking screening effects into account is applied to real metals. It is shown that this approach is thermodynamically and experimentally inconsistent. The physical reasons of this inconsistency are connected with the violation of thermal equilibrium which is the basic applicability condition of the Lifshitz theory.

Mode Contributions to the Casimir Effect

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Intravaia, F.; Henkel, C.

2010-04-01

Applying a sum-over-modes approach to the Casimir interaction between two plates with finite conductivity, we isolate and study the contributions of surface plasmons and Foucault (eddy current) modes. We show in particular that for the TE-polarization eddy currents provide a repulsive force that cancels, at high temperatures, the Casimir free energy calculated with the plasma model.

Stronger constraints on non-Newtonian gravity from the Casimir effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mostepanenko, V M; Klimchitskaya, G L [Center of Theoretical Studies and Institute for Theoretical Physics, Leipzig University, D-04009, Leipzig (Germany); Decca, R S [Department of Physics, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (United States); Fischbach, E; Krause, D E [Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Lopez, D [Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ 07974 (United States)

2008-04-25

We review new constraints on the Yukawa-type corrections to Newtonian gravity obtained recently from gravitational experiments and from the measurements of the Casimir force. Special attention is paid to the constraints following from the most precise dynamic determination of the Casimir pressure between the two parallel plates by means of a micromechanical torsional oscillator. The possibility of setting limits on the predictions of chameleon field theories using the results of gravitational experiments and Casimir force measurements is discussed.

The Casimir effect for pistons with transmittal boundary conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Fucci, Guglielmo

2017-11-01

This work focuses on the analysis of the Casimir effect for pistons subject to transmittal boundary conditions. In particular we consider, as piston configuration, a direct product manifold of the type I × N where I is a closed interval of the real line and N is a smooth compact Riemannian manifold. By utilizing the spectral zeta function regularization technique, we compute the Casimir energy of the system and the Casimir force acting on the piston. Explicit results for the force are provided when the manifold N is a d-dimensional sphere.

Casimir effect: The classical limit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feinberg, J.; Mann, A.; Revzen, M.

2001-01-01

We analyze the high temperature (or classical) limit of the Casimir effect. A useful quantity which arises naturally in our discussion is the 'relative Casimir energy', which we define for a configuration of disjoint conducting boundaries of arbitrary shapes, as the difference of Casimir energies between the given configuration and a configuration with the same boundaries infinitely far apart. Using path integration techniques, we show that the relative Casimir energy vanishes exponentially fast in temperature. This is consistent with a simple physical argument based on Kirchhoff's law. As a result the 'relative Casimir entropy', which we define in an obviously analogous manner, tends, in the classical limit, to a finite asymptotic value which depends only on the geometry of the boundaries. Thus the Casimir force between disjoint pieces of the boundary, in the classical limit, is entropy driven and is governed by a dimensionless number characterizing the geometry of the cavity. Contributions to the Casimir thermodynamical quantities due to each individual connected component of the boundary exhibit logarithmic deviations in temperature from the behavior just described. These logarithmic deviations seem to arise due to our difficulty to separate the Casimir energy (and the other thermodynamical quantities) from the 'electromagnetic' self-energy of each of the connected components of the boundary in a well defined manner. Our approach to the Casimir effect is not to impose sharp boundary conditions on the fluctuating field, but rather take into consideration its interaction with the plasma of 'charge carriers' in the boundary, with the plasma frequency playing the role of a physical UV cutoff. This also allows us to analyze deviations from a perfect conductor behavior

Casimir potential of a compact object enclosed by a spherical cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaheer, Saad; Rahi, Sahand Jamal; Emig, Thorsten; Jaffe, Robert L.

2010-01-01

We study the electromagnetic Casimir interaction of a compact object contained inside a closed cavity of another compact object. We express the interaction energy in terms of the objects' scattering matrices and translation matrices that relate the coordinate systems appropriate to each object. When the enclosing object is an otherwise empty metallic spherical shell, much larger than the internal object, and the two are sufficiently separated, the Casimir force can be expressed in terms of the static electric and magnetic multipole polarizabilities of the internal object, which is analogous to the Casimir-Polder result. Although it is not a simple power law, the dependence of the force on the separation of the object from the containing sphere is a universal function of its displacement from the center of the sphere, independent of other details of the object's electromagnetic response. Furthermore, we compute the exact Casimir force between two metallic spheres contained one inside the other at arbitrary separations. Finally, we combine our results with earlier work on the Casimir force between two spheres to obtain data on the leading-order correction to the proximity force approximation for two metallic spheres both outside and within one another.

A microscopic approach to Casimir and Casimir–Polder forces between metallic bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barcellona, Pablo; Passante, Roberto

2015-01-01

We consider the Casimir–Polder interaction energy between a metallic nanoparticle and a metallic plate, as well as the Casimir interaction energy between two macroscopic metal plates, in terms of the many-body dispersion interactions between their constituents. Expressions for two- and three-body dispersion interactions between the microscopic parts of a real metal are first obtained, both in the retarded and non-retarded limits. These expressions are then used to evaluate the overall two- and three-body contributions to the macroscopic Casimir–Polder and Casimir force, and to compare them with each other, for the two following geometries: metal nanoparticle/half-space and half-space/half-space, where all the materials are assumed perfect conductors. The above evaluation is obtained by summing up the contributions from the microscopic constituents of the bodies (metal nanoparticles). In the case of nanoparticle/half-space, our results fully agree with those that can be extracted from the corresponding macroscopic results, and explicitly show the non-applicability of the pairwise approximation for the geometry considered. In both cases, we find that, while the overall two-body contribution yields an attractive force, the overall three-body contribution is repulsive. Also, they turn out to be of the same order, consistently with the known non applicability of the pairwise approximation. The issue of the rapidity of convergence of the many-body expansion is also briefly discussed

Interplay between geometry and temperature in the Casimir effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, Alexej

2010-06-23

In this thesis, we investigate the interplay between geometry and temperature in the Casimir effect for the inclined-plates, sphere-plate and cylinder-plate configurations. We use the worldline approach, which combines the string-inspired quantum field theoretical formalism with Monte Carlo techniques. The approach allows the precise computation of Casimir energies in arbitrary geometries. We analyze the dependence of the Casimir energy, force and torque on the separation parameter and temperature T, and find Casimir phenomena which are dominated by long-range fluctuations. We demonstrate that for open geometries, thermal energy densities are typically distributed on scales of thermal wavelengths. As an important consequence, approximation methods for thermal corrections based on local energy-density estimates, such as the proximity-force approximation, are found to become unreliable even at small surface-separations. Whereas the hightemperature behavior is always found to be linear in T, richer power-law behaviors at small temperatures emerge. In particular, thermal forces can develop a non-monotonic behavior. Many novel numerical as well as analytical results are presented. (orig.)

Interplay between geometry and temperature in the Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Alexej

2010-01-01

In this thesis, we investigate the interplay between geometry and temperature in the Casimir effect for the inclined-plates, sphere-plate and cylinder-plate configurations. We use the worldline approach, which combines the string-inspired quantum field theoretical formalism with Monte Carlo techniques. The approach allows the precise computation of Casimir energies in arbitrary geometries. We analyze the dependence of the Casimir energy, force and torque on the separation parameter and temperature T, and find Casimir phenomena which are dominated by long-range fluctuations. We demonstrate that for open geometries, thermal energy densities are typically distributed on scales of thermal wavelengths. As an important consequence, approximation methods for thermal corrections based on local energy-density estimates, such as the proximity-force approximation, are found to become unreliable even at small surface-separations. Whereas the hightemperature behavior is always found to be linear in T, richer power-law behaviors at small temperatures emerge. In particular, thermal forces can develop a non-monotonic behavior. Many novel numerical as well as analytical results are presented. (orig.)

Pull-in voltage of microswitch rough plates in the presence of electromagnetic and acoustic Casimir forces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Palasantzas, George

2007-01-01

In this work, we investigate the combined influence of electromagnetic and acoustic Casimir forces on the pull-in voltage of microswitches with self-affine rough plates. It is shown that for plate separations within the micron range the acoustic term arising from pressure fluctuations can influence

Energy loss mechanism for suspended micro- and nanoresonators due to the Casimir force

OpenAIRE

Gusso, André

2011-01-01

A so far not considered energy loss mechanism in suspended micro- and nanoresonators due to noncontact acoustical energy loss is investigated theoretically. The mechanism consists on the conversion of the mechanical energy from the vibratory motion of the resonator into acoustic waves on large nearby structures, such as the substrate, due to the coupling between the resonator and those structures resulting from the Casimir force acting over the separation gaps. Analytical expressions for the ...

Anharmonic 1D actuator model including electrostatic and Casimir forces with fractional damping perturbed by an external force

Science.gov (United States)

Mansoori Kermani, Maryam; Dehestani, Maryam

2018-06-01

We modeled a one-dimensional actuator including the Casimir and electrostatic forces perturbed by an external force with fractional damping. The movable electrode was assumed to oscillate by an anharmonic elastic force originated from Murrell-Mottram or Lippincott potential. The nonlinear equations have been solved via the Adomian decomposition method. The behavior of the displacement of the electrode from equilibrium position, its velocity and acceleration were described versus time. Also, the changes of the displacement have been investigated according to the frequency of the external force and the voltage of the electrostatic force. The convergence of the Adomian method and the effect of the orders of expansion on the displacement versus time, frequency, and voltage were discussed. The pull-in parameter was obtained and compared with the other models in the literature. This parameter was described versus the equilibrium position and anharmonicity constant.

Anharmonic 1D actuator model including electrostatic and Casimir forces with fractional damping perturbed by an external force

Science.gov (United States)

Mansoori Kermani, Maryam; Dehestani, Maryam

2018-03-01

We modeled a one-dimensional actuator including the Casimir and electrostatic forces perturbed by an external force with fractional damping. The movable electrode was assumed to oscillate by an anharmonic elastic force originated from Murrell-Mottram or Lippincott potential. The nonlinear equations have been solved via the Adomian decomposition method. The behavior of the displacement of the electrode from equilibrium position, its velocity and acceleration were described versus time. Also, the changes of the displacement have been investigated according to the frequency of the external force and the voltage of the electrostatic force. The convergence of the Adomian method and the effect of the orders of expansion on the displacement versus time, frequency, and voltage were discussed. The pull-in parameter was obtained and compared with the other models in the literature. This parameter was described versus the equilibrium position and anharmonicity constant.

Materials perspective on Casimir and van der Waals interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, L. M.; Dalvit, D. A. R.; Tkatchenko, A.; Rodriguez-Lopez, P.; Rodriguez, A. W.; Podgornik, R.

2016-10-01

Interactions induced by electromagnetic fluctuations, such as van der Waals and Casimir forces, are of universal nature present at any length scale between any types of systems. Such interactions are important not only for the fundamental science of materials behavior, but also for the design and improvement of micro- and nanostructured devices. In the past decade, many new materials have become available, which has stimulated the need for understanding their dispersive interactions. The field of van der Waals and Casimir forces has experienced an impetus in terms of developing novel theoretical and computational methods to provide new insights into related phenomena. The understanding of such forces has far reaching consequences as it bridges concepts in materials, atomic and molecular physics, condensed-matter physics, high-energy physics, chemistry, and biology. This review summarizes major breakthroughs and emphasizes the common origin of van der Waals and Casimir interactions. Progress related to novel ab initio modeling approaches and their application in various systems, interactions in materials with Dirac-like spectra, force manipulations through nontrivial boundary conditions, and applications of van der Waals forces in organic and biological matter are examined. The outlook of the review is to give the scientific community a materials perspective of van der Waals and Casimir phenomena and stimulate the development of experimental techniques and applications.

Influence of van-der-Waals like interactions on the thermodynamic Casimir effect; Einfluss van-der-Waals-artiger Wechselwirkungen auf den thermodynamischen Casimir-Effekt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grueneberg, Daniel

2008-02-15

To study how the behavior of the thermodynamic Casimir force changes qualitatively and quantitatively due to the presence of such interactions - compared to systems with purely short-range interactions - is the aim of this work. Considering d-dimensional models belonging to the universality class of the O(n)-symmetrical systems, the thermodynamic Casimir force and its leading corrections are derived for temperatures at and above the transition temperature (T{>=}T{sub c,{infinity}}). The underlying pair potential is assumed to be isotropic and long-ranged, decaying asymptotically proportional to x{sup -(d+{sigma}}{sup )} for large separations x, where the value of the parameter {sigma} is restricted to the interval 2<{sigma}<4. By solving an appropriate spherical model in 2Casimir force and its leading corrections are obtained. To study the case n<{infinity}, which in 2Casimir force and its leading corrections are evaluated to two-loop order. It is shown that both in the spherical model and in the O(n)-symmetrical case with n<{infinity} to two-loop order, the thermodynamic Casimir force in the presence of the long-range interaction decays algebraically {proportional_to}L{sup -(d+{sigma}}{sup )} at fixed temperature T>T{sub c,{infinity}} on sufficiently large length scales. (orig.)

Casimir interactions for anisotropic magnetodielectric metamaterials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Da Rosa, Felipe S [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Dalvit, Diego A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Milonni, Peter W [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2008-01-01

We extend our previous work on the generalization of the Casimir-Lifshitz theory to treat anisotropic magnetodielectric media, focusing on the forces between metals and magnetodielectric metamaterials and on the possibility of inferring magnetic effects by measurements of these forces.

Casimir Effect on the Worldline

CERN Document Server

Gies, Holger; Moyaerts, L; Gies, Holger; Langfeld, Kurt; Moyaerts, Laurent

2003-01-01

We develop a method to compute the Casimir effect for arbitrary geometries. The method is based on the string-inspired worldline approach to quantum field theory and its numerical realization with Monte-Carlo techniques. Concentrating on Casimir forces between rigid bodies induced by a fluctuating scalar field, we test our method with the parallel-plate configuration. For the experimentally relevant sphere-plate configuration, we study curvature effects quantitatively and perform a comparison with the ``proximity force approximation'', which is the standard approximation technique. Sizable curvature effects are found for a distance-to-curvature-radius ratio of a/R >~ 0.02. Our method is embedded in renormalizable quantum field theory with a controlled treatment of the UV divergencies. As a technical by-product, we develop various efficient algorithms for generating closed-loop ensembles with Gaussian distribution.

Three-body radiative heat transfer and Casimir-Lifshitz force out of thermal equilibrium for arbitrary bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Messina, Riccardo; Antezza, Mauro

2014-05-01

We study the Casimir-Lifshitz force and the radiative heat transfer in a system consisting of three bodies held at three independent temperatures and immersed in a thermal environment, the whole system being in a stationary configuration out of thermal equilibrium. The theory we develop is valid for arbitrary bodies, i.e., for any set of temperatures, dielectric, and geometrical properties, and describes each body by means of its scattering operators. For the three-body system we provide a closed-form unified expression of the radiative heat transfer and of the Casimir-Lifshitz force (both in and out of thermal equilibrium). This expression is thus first applied to the case of three planar parallel slabs. In this context we discuss the nonadditivity of the force at thermal equilibrium, as well as the equilibrium temperature of the intermediate slab as a function of its position between two external slabs having different temperatures. Finally, we consider the force acting on an atom inside a planar cavity. We show that, differently from the equilibrium configuration, the absence of thermal equilibrium admits one or more positions of minima for the atomic potential. While the corresponding atomic potential depths are very small for typical ground-state atoms, they may become particularly relevant for Rydberg atoms, becoming a promising tool to produce an atomic trap.

Chaotic behavior in Casimir oscillators: A case study for phase-change materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Tajik, Fatemeh; Sedighi, Mehdi; Khorrami, Mohammad; Masoudi, Amir Ali; Palasantzas, George

2017-10-01

Casimir forces between material surfaces at close proximity of less than 200 nm can lead to increased chaotic behavior of actuating devices depending on the strength of the Casimir interaction. We investigate these phenomena for phase-change materials in torsional oscillators, where the amorphous to crystalline phase transitions lead to transitions between high and low Casimir force and torque states, respectively, without material compositions. For a conservative system bifurcation curve and Poincare maps analysis show the absence of chaotic behavior but with the crystalline phase (high force-torque state) favoring more unstable behavior and stiction. However, for a nonconservative system chaotic behavior can take place introducing significant risk for stiction, which is again more pronounced for the crystalline phase. The latter illustrates the more general scenario that stronger Casimir forces and torques increase the possibility for chaotic behavior. The latter is making it impossible to predict whether stiction or stable actuation will occur on a long-term basis, and it is setting limitations in the design of micronano devices operating at short-range nanoscale separations.

A Generalization of Electromagnetic Fluctuation-Induced Casimir Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Zheng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Intermolecular forces responsible for adhesion and cohesion can be classified according to their origins; interactions between charges, ions, random dipole—random dipole (Keesom, random dipole—induced dipole (Debye are due to electrostatic effects; covalent bonding, London dispersion forces between fluctuating dipoles, and Lewis acid-base interactions are due to quantum mechanical effects; pressure and osmotic forces are of entropic origin. Of all these interactions, the London dispersion interaction is universal and exists between all types of atoms as well as macroscopic objects. The dispersion force between macroscopic objects is called Casimir/van der Waals force. It results from alteration of the quantum and thermal fluctuations of the electrodynamic field due to the presence of interfaces and plays a significant role in the interaction between macroscopic objects at micrometer and nanometer length scales. This paper discusses how fluctuational electrodynamics can be used to determine the Casimir energy/pressure between planar multilayer objects. Though it is confirmation of the famous work of Dzyaloshinskii, Lifshitz, and Pitaevskii (DLP, we have solved the problem without having to use methods from quantum field theory that DLP resorted to. Because of this new approach, we have been able to clarify the contributions of propagating and evanescent waves to Casimir energy/pressure in dissipative media.

Optical and Casimir effects in topological materials

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Justin H.

Two major electromagnetic phenomena, magneto-optical effects and the Casimir effect, have seen much theoretical and experimental use for many years. On the other hand, recently there has been an explosion of theoretical and experimental work on so-called topological materials, and a natural question to ask is how such electromagnetic phenomena change with these novel materials. Specifically, we will consider are topological insulators and Weyl semimetals. When Dirac electrons on the surface of a topological insulator are gapped or Weyl fermions in the bulk of a Weyl semimetal appear due to time-reversal symmetry breaking, there is a resulting quantum anomalous Hall effect (2D in one case and bulk 3D in the other, respectively). For topological insulators, we investigate the role of localized in-gap states which can leave their own fingerprints on the magneto-optics and can therefore be probed. We have shown that these states resonantly contribute to the Hall conductivity and are magneto-optically active. For Weyl semimetals we investigate the Casimir force and show that with thickness, chemical potential, and magnetic field, a repulsive and tunable Casimir force can be obtained. Additionally, various values of the parameters can give various combinations of traps and antitraps. We additionally probe the topological transition called a Lifshitz transition in the band structure of a material and show that in a Casimir experiment, one can observe a non-analytic "kink'' in the Casimir force across such a transition. The material we propose is a spin-orbit coupled semiconductor with large g-factor that can be magnetically tuned through such a transition. Additionally, we propose an experiment with a two-dimensional metal where weak localization is tuned with an applied field in order to definitively test the effect of diffusive electrons on the Casimir force---an issue that is surprisingly unresolved to this day. Lastly, we show how the time-continuous coherent state

Casimir pistons with general boundary conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guglielmo Fucci

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In this work we analyze the Casimir energy and force for a scalar field endowed with general self-adjoint boundary conditions propagating in a higher dimensional piston configuration. The piston is constructed as a direct product I×N, with I=[0,L]⊂R and N a smooth, compact Riemannian manifold with or without boundary. The study of the Casimir energy and force for this configuration is performed by employing the spectral zeta function regularization technique. The obtained analytic results depend explicitly on the spectral zeta function associated with the manifold N and the parameters describing the general boundary conditions imposed. These results are then specialized to the case in which the manifold N is a d-dimensional sphere.

Casimir Forces and Quantum Friction from Ginzburg Radiation in Atomic Bose-Einstein Condensates.

Science.gov (United States)

Marino, Jamir; Recati, Alessio; Carusotto, Iacopo

2017-01-27

We theoretically propose an experimentally viable scheme to use an impurity atom in an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate, in order to realize condensed-matter analogs of quantum vacuum effects. In a suitable atomic level configuration, the collisional interaction between the impurity atom and the density fluctuations in the condensate can be tailored to closely reproduce the electric-dipole coupling of quantum electrodynamics. By virtue of this analogy, we recover and extend the paradigm of electromagnetic vacuum forces to the domain of cold atoms, showing in particular the emergence, at supersonic atomic speeds, of a novel power-law scaling of the Casimir force felt by the atomic impurity, as well as the occurrence of a quantum frictional force, accompanied by the Ginzburg emission of Bogoliubov quanta. Observable consequences of these quantum vacuum effects in realistic spectroscopic experiments are discussed.

Interplay between geometry and temperature for inclined Casimir plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Alexej; Gies, Holger

2009-01-01

We provide further evidence for the nontrivial interplay between geometry and temperature in the Casimir effect. We investigate the temperature dependence of the Casimir force between an inclined semi-infinite plate above an infinite plate in D dimensions using the worldline formalism. Whereas the high-temperature behavior is always found to be linear in T in accordance with dimensional-reduction arguments, different power-law behaviors at small temperatures emerge. Unlike the case of infinite parallel plates, which shows the well-known T D behavior of the force, we find a T D-1 behavior for inclined plates, and a ∼T D-0.3 behavior for the edge effect in the limit where the plates become parallel. The strongest temperature dependence ∼T D-2 occurs for the Casimir torque of inclined plates. Numerical as well as analytical worldline results are presented.

Fermionic Casimir effect for parallel plates in the presence of compact dimensions with applications to nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellucci, S.; Saharian, A. A.

2009-01-01

We evaluate the Casimir energy and force for a massive fermionic field in the geometry of two parallel plates on background of Minkowski spacetime with an arbitrary number of toroidally compactified spatial dimensions. The bag boundary conditions are imposed on the plates and periodicity conditions with arbitrary phases are considered along the compact dimensions. The Casimir energy is decomposed into purely topological, single plate and interaction parts. With independence of the lengths of the compact dimensions and the phases in the periodicity conditions, the interaction part of the Casimir energy is always negative. In order to obtain the resulting force, the contributions from both sides of the plates must be taken into account. Then, the forces coming from the topological parts of the vacuum energy cancel out and only the interaction term contributes to the Casimir force. Applications of the general formulae to Kaluza-Klein-type models and carbon nanotubes are given. In particular, we show that for finite-length metallic nanotubes, the Casimir forces acting on the tube edges are always attractive, whereas for semiconducting-type ones, they are attractive for small lengths of the nanotube and repulsive for large lengths.

Scalar Casimir effect for a D-dimensional sphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bender, C.M.; Milton, K.A.

1994-01-01

The Casimir stress on a D-dimensional sphere (the stress on a sphere is equal to the Casimir force per unit area multiplied by the area of the sphere) due to the confinement of a massless scalar field is computed as a function of D, where D is a continuous variable that ranges from -∞ to ∞. The dependence of the stress on the dimension is obtained using a simple and straightforward Green's function technique. We find that the Casimir stress vanishes as D→+∞ (D is a noneven integer) and also vanishes when D is a negative even integer. The stress has simple poles at positive even integer values of D

Johnson noise and the thermal Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bimonte, Giuseppe

2007-01-01

We study the thermal interaction between two nearby thin metallic wires, at finite temperature. It is shown that the Johnson currents in the wires give rise, via inductive coupling, to a repulsive force between them. This thermal interaction exhibits all the puzzling features found recently in the thermal Casimir effect for lossy metallic plates, suggesting that the physical origin of the difficulties encountered in the Casimir problem resides in the inductive coupling between the Johnson currents inside the plates. We show that in our simple model all puzzles are resolved if account is taken of capacitive effects associated with the end points of the wires. Our findings suggest that capacitive finite-size effects may play an important role in the resolution of the analogous problems met in the thermal Casimir effect

Casimir interactions between graphene sheets and metamaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drosdoff, D.; Woods, Lilia M.

2011-01-01

The Casimir force between graphene sheets and metamaterials is studied. Theoretical results based on the Lifshitz theory for layered, planar, two-dimensional systems in media are presented. We consider graphene-graphene, graphene-metamaterial, and metal-graphene-metamaterial configurations. We find that quantum effects of the temperature-dependent force are not apparent until the submicron range. In contrast to results with bulk dielectric and bulk metallic materials, no Casimir repulsion is found when graphene is placed on top of a magnetically active metamaterial substrate, regardless of the strength of the low-frequency magnetic response. In the case of the metal-graphene-metamaterial setting, repulsion between the metamaterial and the metal-graphene system is possible only when the dielectric response from the metal contributes significantly.

Thermal Casimir-Polder forces on a V-type three-level atom

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Chen-Ran; Xu, Jing-Ping; Al-amri, M.; Zhu, Cheng-Jie; Xie, Shuang-Yuan; Yang, Ya-Ping

2017-09-01

We study the thermal Casimir-Polder (CP) forces on a V-type three-level atom. The competition between the thermal effect and the quantum interference of the two transition dipoles on the force is investigated. To shed light onto the role of the quantum interference, we analyze two kinds of initial states of the atom, i.e., the superradiant state and the subradiant state. Considering the atom being in the thermal reservoir, the resonant CP force arising from the real photon emission dominates in the evolution of the CP force. Under the zero-temperature condition, the quantum interference can effectively modify the amplitude and the evolution of the force, leading to a long-time force or even the cancellation of the force. Our results reveal that in the finite-temperature case, the thermal photons can enhance the amplitude of all force elements, but have no influence on the net resonant CP force in the steady state, which means that the second law of thermodynamics still works. For the ideal degenerate V-type atom with parallel dipoles under the initial subradiant state, the robust destructive quantum interference overrides the thermal fluctuations, leading to the trapping of the atom in the subradiant state and the disappearance of the CP force. However, in terms of a realistic Zeeman atom, the thermal photons play a significant role during the evolution of the CP force. The thermal fluctuations can enhance the amplitude of the initial CP force by increasing the temperature, and weaken the influence of the quantum interference on the evolution of the CP force from the initial superradiant (subradiant) state to the steady state.

Calculating Casimir energies in renormalizable quantum field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milton, Kimball A.

2003-01-01

Quantum vacuum energy has been known to have observable consequences since 1948 when Casimir calculated the force of attraction between parallel uncharged plates, a phenomenon confirmed experimentally with ever increasing precision. Casimir himself suggested that a similar attractive self-stress existed for a conducting spherical shell, but Boyer obtained a repulsive stress. Other geometries and higher dimensions have been considered over the years. Local effects, and divergences associated with surfaces and edges were studied by several authors. Quite recently, Graham et al. have reexamined such calculations, using conventional techniques of perturbative quantum field theory to remove divergences, and have suggested that previous self-stress results may be suspect. Here we show that the examples considered in their work are misleading; in particular, it is well known that in two space dimensions a circular boundary has a divergence in the Casimir energy for massless fields, while for general spatial dimension D not equal to an even integer the corresponding Casimir energy arising from massless fields interior and exterior to a hyperspherical shell is finite. It has also long been recognized that the Casimir energy for massive fields is divergent for curved boundaries. These conclusions are reinforced by a calculation of the relevant leading Feynman diagram in D and in three dimensions. There is therefore no doubt of the validity of the conventional finite Casimir calculations

Efficient Computation of Casimir Interactions between Arbitrary 3D Objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, M. T. Homer; Rodriguez, Alejandro W.; White, Jacob; Johnson, Steven G.

2009-01-01

We introduce an efficient technique for computing Casimir energies and forces between objects of arbitrarily complex 3D geometries. In contrast to other recently developed methods, our technique easily handles nonspheroidal, nonaxisymmetric objects, and objects with sharp corners. Using our new technique, we obtain the first predictions of Casimir interactions in a number of experimentally relevant geometries, including crossed cylinders and tetrahedral nanoparticles.

Casimir-Polder potential for a metallic cylinder in cosmic string spacetime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saharian, A.A., E-mail: saharian@ysu.am [Department of Physics, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian Street, 0025 Yerevan (Armenia); Kotanjyan, A.S. [Department of Physics, Yerevan State University, 1 Alex Manoogian Street, 0025 Yerevan (Armenia)

2012-07-09

Casimir-Polder potential is investigated for a polarizable microparticle in the geometry of a straight cosmic string with a metallic cylindrical shell. The electromagnetic field Green tensor is evaluated on the imaginary frequency axis. The expressions for the Casimir-Polder potential is derived in the general case of anisotropic polarizability for the both interior and exterior regions of the shell. The potential is decomposed into pure string and shell-induced parts. The latter dominates for points near the shell, whereas the pure string part is dominant near the string and at large distances from the shell. For the isotropic case and in the region inside the shell the both pure string and shell-induced parts in the Casimir-Polder force are repulsive with respect to the string. In the exterior region the shell-induced part of the force is directed toward the cylinder whereas the pure string part remains repulsive with respect to the string. At large distances from the shell the total force is repulsive.

Theoretical modeling of the effect of Casimir attraction on the electrostatic instability of nanowire-fabricated actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhtari, J.; Farrokhabadi, A.; Rach, R.; Abadyan, M.

2015-04-01

The presence of the quantum vacuum fluctuations, i.e. the Casimir attraction, can strongly affect the performance of ultra-small actuators. The strength of the Casimir force is significantly influenced by the geometries of interacting bodies. Previous research has exclusively studied the impact of the vacuum fluctuations on the instability of nanoactuators with planar geometries. However, no work has yet considered this phenomenon in actuators fabricated from nanowires/nanotubes with cylindrical geometries. In our present work, the influence of the Casimir attraction on the electrostatic stability of nanoactuators fabricated from cylindrical conductive nanowire/nanotube is investigated. The Dirichlet mode is considered and an asymptotic solution, based on scattering theory, is applied to consider the effect of vacuum fluctuations in the theoretical model. The size-dependent modified couple stress theory is employed to derive the constitutive equation of the actuator. The governing nonlinear equations are solved by two different approaches, i.e. the finite difference method and modified Adomian-Padé method. Various aspects of the problem, i.e. comparison with the van der Waals force regime, the variation of instability parameters, effect of geometry and coupling between the Casimir force and size dependency are discussed. This work is beneficial to determine the impact of Casimir force on nanowire/nanotube-fabricated actuators.

The thermodynamic Casimir effect with symmetry-preserving and symmetry-breaking boundary conditions; Der thermodynamische Casimir-Effekt mit symmetrieerhaltenden und symmetriebrechenden Randbedingungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, Felix

2014-07-16

When macroscopic bodies are immersed in fluctuating media, long-range forces between these bodies may occur. The fluctuation's spectrum is modified resulting in a dependence of the system's energy on the separation between the objects, straightforwardly leading to the existence of a force between the bodies. This work is dedicated to the analysis of how boundary conditions affect the thermodynamic Casimir effect where thermal fluctuations near a critical point induce these forces. O(n) symmetric φ 4 theories in d-dimensional slab geometries of thickness L are considered. When symmetry breaking external fields are present as well, the generic boundary conditions of these theories read ∂{sub n}φ-c{sub j}φ=-h{sub j} where the coefficients c{sub j} are surface couplings, serving as linearly extrapolated penetration depths into the surfaces in Landau theory, and h{sub j} are surface fields. The influence of the surface couplings c{sub j} on the Casimir force is investigated by means of the renormalization-group-improved perturbation theory in d=4-ε dimensions to two-loop order at the bulk critical point. Special attention is paid to the case of critical enhancement of the surface interactions which results in the existence of a zero mode leading to a breakdown of the usual loop expansion of the free energy and implicating the emergence of non-integer powers of ε in the ε expansion. These perturbative methods are restricted to the disordered phase with T≥T{sub c,∞}, c{sub j}≥c{sub sp}, and h{sub j}=0. In order to extend the analysis to the whole temperature axis, the exactly treatable limit n → ∞ of the three-dimensional φ 4 model is investigated. A set of self-consistent equations for the free energy is derived that can be solved numerically exact. Considering Dirichlet boundary conditions and vanishing external fields, one finds a temperature dependence of the Casimir force that exhibits the qualitative features of the experimentally

Casimir forces between compact objects: The scalar case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emig, T.; Graham, N.; Jaffe, R. L.; Kardar, M.

2008-01-01

We have developed an exact, general method to compute Casimir interactions between a finite number of compact objects of arbitrary shape and separation. Here, we present details of the method for a scalar field to illustrate our approach in its most simple form; the generalization to electromagnetic fields is outlined in Ref. [T. Emig, N. Graham, R. L. Jaffe, and M. Kardar, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 170403 (2007).]. The interaction between the objects is attributed to quantum fluctuations of source distributions on their surfaces, which we decompose in terms of multipoles. A functional integral over the effective action of multipoles gives the resulting interaction. Each object's shape and boundary conditions enter the effective action only through its scattering matrix. Their relative positions enter through universal translation matrices that depend only on field type and spatial dimension. The distinction of our method from the pairwise summation of two-body potentials is elucidated in terms of the scattering processes between three objects. To illustrate the power of the technique, we consider Robin boundary conditions φ-λ∂ n φ=0, which interpolate between Dirichlet and Neumann cases as λ is varied. We obtain the interaction between two such spheres analytically in a large separation expansion, and numerically for all separations. The cases of unequal radii and unequal λ are studied. We find sign changes in the force as a function of separation in certain ranges of λ and see deviations from the proximity force approximation even at short separations, most notably for Neumann boundary conditions

Casimir stress in materials: Hard divergency at soft walls

Science.gov (United States)

Griniasty, Itay; Leonhardt, Ulf

2017-11-01

The Casimir force between macroscopic bodies is well understood, but not the Casimir stress inside bodies. Suppose empty space or a uniform medium meets a soft wall where the refractive index is continuous but its derivative jumps. For this situation we predict a characteristic power law for the stress inside the soft wall and close to its edges. Our result shows that such edges are not tolerated in the aggregation of liquids at surfaces, regardless whether the liquid is attracted or repelled.

The Casimir Effect Upon A Single Plate

OpenAIRE

Hoodbhoy, Pervez

2004-01-01

In the presence of an external field, the imposition of specific boundary conditions can lead to interesting new manifestations of the Casimir effect. In particular, it is shown here that even a single conducting plate may experience a non-zero force due to vacuum fluctuations. The origins of this force lie in the change induced by the external potential in the density of available quantum states.

Vortex loops in the critical Casimir effect in superfluid and superconducting films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Gary A.

2004-01-01

Vortex-loop renormalization techniques are used to calculate the magnitude of the critical Casimir forces in superfluid and superconducting thin films. The force is found to become appreciable when the size of the thermally excited vortex loops is comparable to the film thickness, and the results for T c are found to match very well with perturbative renormalization-group theories that can only be carried out for T>T c . In helium films the Casimir force leads to a change in the film thickness close to T c that has been observed experimentally. A similar effect is predicted to occur near the transition temperature of high-T c superconducting films, which is also a vortex-loop phase transition. In this case the Casimir force takes the form of a voltage difference that will appear at the junction between a thin film and a bulk sample. Estimates show that this voltage can be appreciable (tens of microvolts), and it may be possible to observe the effect by measuring the voltage across two Josephson tunnel junctions to the film and to the bulk, using a SQUID voltmeter

Nanoparticle separation based on size-dependent aggregation of nanoparticles due to the critical Casimir effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Hongyu; Stan, Gheorghe; Liu, Yun

2018-02-21

Nanoparticles typically have an inherent wide size distribution that may affect the performance and reliability of many nanomaterials. Because the synthesis and purification of nanoparticles with desirable sizes are crucial to the applications of nanoparticles in various fields including medicine, biology, health care, and energy, there is a great need to search for more efficient and generic methods for size-selective nanoparticle purification/separation. Here we propose and conclusively demonstrate the effectiveness of a size-selective particle purification/separation method based on the critical Casimir force. The critical Casimir force is a generic interaction between colloidal particles near the solvent critical point and has been extensively studied in the past several decades due to its importance in reversibly controlling the aggregation and stability of colloidal particles. Combining multiple experimental techniques, we found that the critical Casimir force-induced aggregation depends on relative particle sizes in a system with larger ones aggregating first and the smaller ones remaining in solution. Based on this observation, a new size-dependent nanoparticle purification/separation method is proposed and demonstrated to be very efficient in purifying commercial silica nanoparticles in the lutidine/water binary solvent. Due to the ubiquity of the critical Casimir force for many colloidal particles in binary solvents, this method might be applicable to many types of colloidal particles.

Tunable Stable Levitation Based on Casimir Interaction between Nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xianglei; Zhang, Zhuomin M.

2016-03-01

Quantum levitation enabled by repulsive Casimir force has been desirable due to the potential exciting applications in passive-suspension devices and frictionless bearings. In this paper, dynamically tunable stable levitation is theoretically demonstrated based on the configuration of dissimilar gratings separated by an intervening fluid using exact scattering theory. The levitation position is insensitive to temperature variations and can be actively tuned by adjusting the lateral displacement between the two gratings. This work investigates the possibility of applying quantum Casimir interactions into macroscopic mechanical devices working in a noncontact and low-friction environment for controlling the position or transducing lateral movement into vertical displacement at the nanoscale.

The Casimir interaction of a massive vector field between concentric spherical bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teo, L.P.

2011-01-01

The Casimir interaction energy due to the vacuum fluctuations of a massive vector field between two perfectly conducting concentric spherical bodies is computed. The TE contribution to the Casimir interaction energy is a direct generalization of the massless case but the TM contribution is much more complicated. Each TM mode is a linear combination of a transverse mode which is the generalization of a TM mode in the massless case and a longitudinal mode that does not appear in the massless case. In contrast to the case of two parallel perfectly conducting plates, there are no TM discrete modes that vanish identically in the perfectly conducting spherical bodies. Numerical simulations show that the Casimir interaction force between the two bodies is always attractive.

Laser Cooling and Trapping of Neutral Strontium for Spectroscopic Measurements of Casimir-Polder Potentials

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Eryn C.

Casimir and Casimir-Polder effects are forces between electrically neutral bodies and particles in vacuum, arising entirely from quantum fluctuations. The modification to the vacuum electromagnetic-field modes imposed by the presence of any particle or surface can result in these mechanical forces, which are often the dominant interaction at small separations. These effects play an increasingly critical role in the operation of micro- and nano-mechanical systems as well as miniaturized atomic traps for precision sensors and quantum-information devices. Despite their fundamental importance, calculations present theoretical and numeric challenges, and precise atom-surface potential measurements are lacking in many geometric and distance regimes. The spectroscopic measurement of Casimir-Polder-induced energy level shifts in optical-lattice trapped atoms offers a new experimental method to probe atom-surface interactions. Strontium, the current front-runner among optical frequency metrology systems, has demonstrated characteristics ideal for such precision measurements. An alkaline earth atom possessing ultra-narrow intercombination transitions, strontium can be loaded into an optical lattice at the "magic" wavelength where the probe transition is unperturbed by the trap light. Translation of the lattice will permit controlled transport of tightly-confined atomic samples to well-calibrated atom-surface separations, while optical transition shifts serve as a direct probe of the Casimir-Polder potential. We have constructed a strontium magneto-optical trap (MOT) for future Casimir-Polder experiments. This thesis will describe the strontium apparatus, initial trap performance, and some details of the proposed measurement procedure.

PREFACE: International Workshop '60 Years of the Casimir Effect'

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, Gabriel; Carugno, Giovanni; Dodonov, Victor; Man'ko, Margarita

2009-07-01

In 1948 Hendrick Casimir published a short article predicting that (neutral) ideal metallic plates attract each other. This attraction is widely ascribed to the quantum vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field (even though away from the limit of ideal metals it depends demonstrably on the physics of the charge carriers vanishing when they cease to carry). Casimir's remarkable discovery, nowadays called the Casimir effect, has charmed several generations of physicists. In the last decade alone, more than a thousand publications have addressed its many consequences, generalizations, and possible applications in different areas from particle physics to cosmology. Interest in the field is still growing driven by impressive progress in experimental skills and its importance for the recently opened-up area of micro- and nano-electromechanical systems: according to the Thompson ISI Web of Science database, in 2005 the number of papers related to the Casimir effect or to Casimir forces jumped to over 125, compared to approximately 60 in 2000 and 30 in 1995. The increase continues, with more than 170 papers in 2008. The International Workshop '60 Years of the Casimir Effect' took place on 23-27June 2008, in Brasilia (Brazil) organized by the International Center for Condensed Matter Physics (ICCMP). The purpose was to celebrate this anniversary of Casimir's pioneering paper by inviting the leading specialists in the area, both theorists and experimentalists, together with young researchers and post-graduate students interested in hearing about the most recent achievements in the field. The Workshop was attended by 65 participants from 14 countries, who presented 41 talks and 12 posters. These Proceedings contain extended versions of almost all the talks and some posters, plus several papers by authors who had planned to attend but for various reasons could not. The contributions are divided (with some inevitable arbitrariness) into four groups. The largest one

Macroscopic QED in linearly responding media and a Lorentz-Force approach to dispersion forces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raabe, Christian

2008-07-08

In this thesis, a very general quantization scheme for the macroscopic electromagnetic field in arbitrary linearly responding media is presented. It offers a unified approach to QED in such media. Applying the quantization scheme, a theory of the dispersion forces on the basis of the Lorentz force is developed. By regarding the dispersion force as the (ground-state or thermal-state) expectation value of the Lorentz force that acts on appropriately defined charge and current densities, Casimir, Casimir-Polder, and van der Waals forces are united in a very natural way that makes transparent their common physical basis. Application of the theory to planar structures yields generalizations of well-known Lifschitz and Casimir-type formulas. (orig.)

Macroscopic QED in linearly responding media and a Lorentz-Force approach to dispersion forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raabe, Christian

2008-01-01

In this thesis, a very general quantization scheme for the macroscopic electromagnetic field in arbitrary linearly responding media is presented. It offers a unified approach to QED in such media. Applying the quantization scheme, a theory of the dispersion forces on the basis of the Lorentz force is developed. By regarding the dispersion force as the (ground-state or thermal-state) expectation value of the Lorentz force that acts on appropriately defined charge and current densities, Casimir, Casimir-Polder, and van der Waals forces are united in a very natural way that makes transparent their common physical basis. Application of the theory to planar structures yields generalizations of well-known Lifschitz and Casimir-type formulas. (orig.)

Computation of Casimir interactions between arbitrary three-dimensional objects with arbitrary material properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, M. T. Homer; White, Jacob; Johnson, Steven G.

2011-01-01

We extend a recently introduced method for computing Casimir forces between arbitrarily shaped metallic objects [M. T. H. Reid et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 040401 (2009)] to allow treatment of objects with arbitrary material properties, including imperfect conductors, dielectrics, and magnetic materials. Our original method considered electric currents on the surfaces of the interacting objects; the extended method considers both electric and magnetic surface current distributions, and obtains the Casimir energy of a configuration of objects in terms of the interactions of these effective surface currents. Using this new technique, we present the first predictions of Casimir interactions in several experimentally relevant geometries that would be difficult to treat with any existing method. In particular, we investigate Casimir interactions between dielectric nanodisks embedded in a dielectric fluid; we identify the threshold surface-surface separation at which finite-size effects become relevant, and we map the rotational energy landscape of bound nanoparticle diclusters.

Casimir force, excess free energy and C-function in O(n) systems with long-range interactions in the n → ∞ limit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chamati, H.; Dantchev, D.M.

2004-06-01

We present exact results on the behavior of the thermodynamic Casimir force and the excess free energy and the C-function in the framework of the d-dimensional spherical model with a power law long-range interaction decaying at large distances r as r -d- σ, where σ c , as well as for T > Tc and T c . The universal finite-size scaling function governing the behavior of the force in the critical region is derived and its asymptotics are investigated. While in the critical and under -d -d-, critical region the force is of the order of L -d , for T > T c it decays as L -dσ , where L is the thickness of the film. We consider both the case of a finite system that has no phase transition of its own, when d - σ when one observes a dimensional crossover from d to a d - 1 dimensional critical behavior. The behavior of the force along the phase coexistence line for a magnetic field H = 0 and T c . is also derived. We have proven analytically that the excess free energy is always negative ad monotonically increasing function of T and H, while the C-function is always non-negative and monotonically decreasing function of T and H. For the Casimir force we have demonstrated that for any σ > it is everywhere negative, i.e. an attraction between the surfaces bounding the system is to be observed. At T = T c the force is an increasing function of T for σ > 1 and a decreasing one for σ c is always achieved at some H ≠ 0 . (author)

Nonperturbative Dynamical Casimir Effect in Optomechanical Systems: Vacuum Casimir-Rabi Splittings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenzo Macrì

2018-02-01

Full Text Available We study the dynamical Casimir effect using a fully quantum-mechanical description of both the cavity field and the oscillating mirror. We do not linearize the dynamics, nor do we adopt any parametric or perturbative approximation. By numerically diagonalizing the full optomechanical Hamiltonian, we show that the resonant generation of photons from the vacuum is determined by a ladder of mirror-field vacuum Rabi splittings. We find that vacuum emission can originate from the free evolution of an initial pure mechanical excited state, in analogy with the spontaneous emission from excited atoms. By considering a coherent drive of the mirror, using a master-equation approach to take losses into account, we are able to study the dynamical Casimir effect for optomechanical coupling strengths ranging from weak to ultrastrong. We find that a resonant production of photons out of the vacuum can be observed even for mechanical frequencies lower than the cavity-mode frequency. Since high mechanical frequencies, which are hard to achieve experimentally, were thought to be imperative for realizing the dynamical Casimir effect, this result removes one of the major obstacles for the observation of this long-sought effect. We also find that the dynamical Casimir effect can create entanglement between the oscillating mirror and the radiation produced by its motion in the vacuum field, and that vacuum Casimir-Rabi oscillations can occur. Finally, we also show that all these findings apply not only to optomechanical systems, but also to parametric amplifiers operating in the fully quantum regime.

Dynamical Casimir effect on a cavity with mixed boundary conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, Danilo T.; Farina, Carlos; Maia Neto, Paulo Americo

2002-01-01

The most well-known mechanical effect related to the quantum vacuum is the Casimir force between two mirrors at rest. A new effect appears when the mirrors are set to move. In this case, the vacuum field may exert a dissipative force, damping the motion. As a consequence of energy conservation, there will be creation of real particles. If the motion is non-relativistic and has a small amplitude, the dynamical Casimir force can be found via a perturbative method proposed by Ford and Vilenkin. Using their technique, the electromagnetic dynamical Casimir problem, considered when the oscillating cavity is formed by two parallel plates of the same nature (perfectly conducting or perfectly permeable), can be divided into two separated boundary condition problems, namely: one involving Dirichlet BC, related to the transverse electric polarization and the other involving a Neumann BC, related to the transverse magnetic mode. The case of conducting plates can be found in the literature. However, another interesting case, the mixed oscillating cavity where the plates are of different nature, namely, a perfectly conducting plate and a perfectly permeable one (Boyer plates), has not been studied yet. We show that,for this case, the transverse electric models will be related to mixed boundary conditions: Dirichlet-like BC at the conducting plate and Neumann-like BC at the permeable plate. Analogously, the magnetic modes are related to a Neumann BC at the conducting plate and to a Dirichlet BC at the permeable one. As a first step before attacking the three-dimensional electromagnetic problem with mixed BC, we present here a simpler model: a one-dimensional cavity, where a massless scalar field is submitted to mixed (Dirichlet-Neumann) BC. For simplicity, we consider a non-relativistic motion for the conducting wall (Dirichlet BC) and suppose that the perfectly permeable wall (Neumann BC) is at rest. From this model we can extract insights about the dynamical Casimir

The Casimir effect physical manifestations of zero-point energy

CERN Document Server

Milton, K A

2001-01-01

In its simplest manifestation, the Casimir effect is a quantum force of attraction between two parallel uncharged conducting plates. More generally, it refers to the interaction - which may be either attractive or repulsive - between material bodies due to quantum fluctuations in whatever fields are relevant. It is a local version of the van der Waals force between molecules. Its sweep ranges from perhaps its being the origin of the cosmological constant to its being responsible for the confinement of quarks. This monograph develops the theory of such forces, based primarily on physically tran

Casimir quantum levitation tuned by means of material properties and geometries

OpenAIRE

Dou, Maofeng; Lui, F; Boström, Mathias; Brevik, Iver Håkon; Persson, Clas

2014-01-01

The Casimir force between two surfaces is attractive in most cases. Although stable suspension of nano-objects has been achieved, the sophisticated geometries make them difficult to be merged with well-established thin film processes. We find that by introducing thin film surface coating on porous substrates, a repulsive to attractive force transition is achieved when the separations are increased in planar geometries, resulting in a stable suspension of two surfaces near the force transition...

Casimir amplitudes in topological quantum phase transitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, M A; Continentino, M A

2018-01-01

Topological phase transitions constitute a new class of quantum critical phenomena. They cannot be described within the usual framework of the Landau theory since, in general, the different phases cannot be distinguished by an order parameter, neither can they be related to different symmetries. In most cases, however, one can identify a diverging length at these topological transitions. This allows us to describe them using a scaling approach and to introduce a set of critical exponents that characterize their universality class. Here we consider some relevant models of quantum topological transitions associated with well-defined critical exponents that are related by a quantum hyperscaling relation. We extend to these models a finite-size scaling approach based on techniques for calculating the Casimir force in electromagnetism. This procedure allows us to obtain universal Casimir amplitudes at their quantum critical points. Our results verify the validity of finite-size scaling in these systems and confirm the values of the critical exponents obtained previously.

Finite temperature Casimir effect for a massless fractional Klein-Gordon field with fractional Neumann conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eab, C. H.; Lim, S. C.; Teo, L. P.

2007-01-01

This paper studies the Casimir effect due to fractional massless Klein-Gordon field confined to parallel plates. A new kind of boundary condition called fractional Neumann condition which involves vanishing fractional derivatives of the field is introduced. The fractional Neumann condition allows the interpolation of Dirichlet and Neumann conditions imposed on the two plates. There exists a transition value in the difference between the orders of the fractional Neumann conditions for which the Casimir force changes from attractive to repulsive. Low and high temperature limits of Casimir energy and pressure are obtained. For sufficiently high temperature, these quantities are dominated by terms independent of the boundary conditions. Finally, validity of the temperature inversion symmetry for various boundary conditions is discussed

Recent breakthrough and outlook in constraining the non-Newtonian gravity and axion-like particles from Casimir physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klimchitskaya, G.L. [Central Astronomical Observatory at Pulkovo of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation); Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, Institute of Physics, Nanotechnology and Telecommunications, Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation)

2017-05-15

The strongest constraints on the Yukawa-type corrections to Newton's gravitational law and on the coupling constants of axion-like particles to nucleons, following from recently performed experiments of Casimir physics, are presented. Specifically, the constraints obtained from measurements of the lateral and normal Casimir forces between sinusoidally corrugated surfaces, and from the isoelectronic experiment are considered, and the ranges of their greatest strength are refined. Minor modifications in the experimental setups are proposed which allow for strengthening the resultant constraints up to an order of magnitude. The comparison with some weaker constraints derived in the Casimir regime is also made. (orig.)

Thermal Casimir effect in Kerr spacetime with quintessence and massive gravitons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bezerra, V.B. [Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Departamento de Fisica, Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil); Christiansen, H.R. [Ciencia e Tecnologia do Ceara (IFCE), Departamento de Fisica, Instituto Federal de Educacao, Sobral, CE (Brazil); Cunha, M.S. [Universidade Estadual do Ceara, Grupo de Fisica Teorica (GFT), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Muniz, C.R.; Tahim, M.O. [Universidade Estadual do Ceara, Faculdade de Educacao, Ciencias e Letras do Sertao Central, Quixada, CE (Brazil)

2017-11-15

Starting from an analytical expression for the Helmholtz free energy we calculate the thermal corrections to the Casimir energy density and entropy within nearby ideal parallel plates in the vacuum of a massless scalar field. Our framework is the Kerr spacetime in the presence of quintessence and massive gravitons. The high and low temperature regimes are especially analyzed in order to distinguish the main contributions. For instance, in the high temperature regime, we show that the force between the plates is repulsive and grows with both the quintessence and the massive gravitons. Regarding the Casimir entropy, our results are in agreement with the Nernst heat theorem and therefore confirm the third law of thermodynamics in the present scenario. (orig.)

Casimir Repulsion between Metallic Objects in Vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, Michael; McCauley, Alexander P.; Rodriguez, Alejandro W.; Reid, M. T. Homer; Johnson, Steven G.

2010-01-01

We give an example of a geometry in which two metallic objects in vacuum experience a repulsive Casimir force. The geometry consists of an elongated metal particle centered above a metal plate with a hole. We prove that this geometry has a repulsive regime using a symmetry argument and confirm it with numerical calculations for both perfect and realistic metals. The system does not support stable levitation, as the particle is unstable to displacements away from the symmetry axis.

Stability and the proximity theorem in Casimir actuated nano devices

Science.gov (United States)

Esquivel-Sirvent, R.; Reyes, L.; Bárcenas, J.

2006-10-01

A brief description of the stability problem in micro and nano electromechanical devices (MEMS/NEMS) actuated by Casimir forces is given. To enhance the stability, we propose the use of curved surfaces and recalculate the stability conditions by means of the proximity force approximation. The use of curved surfaces changes the bifurcation point, and the radius of curvature becomes a control parameter, allowing a rescaling of the elastic restitution constant and/or of the typical dimensions of the device.

Sign and other aspects of semiclassical Casimir energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaden, Martin

2006-01-01

The Casimir energy of a massless scalar field is semiclassically given by contributions due to classical periodic rays. The required subtractions in the spectral density are determined explicitly. The semiclassical Casimir energies so defined coincide with those of zeta function regularization in the cases studied. Poles in the analytic continuation of zeta function regularization are related to nonuniversal subtractions in the spectral density. The sign of the Casimir energy of a scalar field on a smooth manifold is estimated by the sign of the contribution due to the shortest periodic rays only. Demanding continuity of the Casimir energy under small deformations of the manifold, the method is extended to integrable systems. The Casimir energy of a massless scalar field on a manifold with boundaries includes contributions due to periodic rays that lie entirely within the boundaries. These contributions in general depend on the boundary conditions. Although the Casimir energy due to a massless scalar field may be sensitive to the physical dimensions of manifolds with boundary. In favorable cases its sign can, contrary to conventional wisdom, be inferred without calculation of the Casimir energy

Casimir friction and near-field radiative heat transfer in graphene structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volokitin, A.I. [Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany). Peter Gruenberg Inst.; Samara State Technical Univ. (Russian Federation). Physical Dept.

2017-05-01

The dependence of the Casimir friction force between a graphene sheet and a (amorphous) SiO{sub 2} substrate on the drift velocity of the electrons in the graphene sheet is studied. It is shown that the Casimir friction is strongly enhanced for the drift velocity above the threshold velocity when the friction is determined by the resonant excitation of the surface phonon-polaritons in the SiO{sub 2} substrate and the electron-hole pairs in graphene. The theory agrees well with the experimental data for the current-voltage dependence for unsuspended graphene on the SiO{sub 2} substrate. The theories of the Casimir friction and the near-field radiative energy transfer are used to study the heat generation and dissipation in graphene due to the interaction with phonon-polaritons in the (amorphous) SiO{sub 2} substrate and acoustic phonons in graphene. For suspended graphene, the energy transfer coefficient at nanoscale gap is ∝ three orders of magnitude larger than the radiative heat transfer coefficient of the blackbody radiation limit.

Casimir friction and near-field radiative heat transfer in graphene structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volokitin, A.I.; Samara State Technical Univ.

2017-01-01

The dependence of the Casimir friction force between a graphene sheet and a (amorphous) SiO 2 substrate on the drift velocity of the electrons in the graphene sheet is studied. It is shown that the Casimir friction is strongly enhanced for the drift velocity above the threshold velocity when the friction is determined by the resonant excitation of the surface phonon-polaritons in the SiO 2 substrate and the electron-hole pairs in graphene. The theory agrees well with the experimental data for the current-voltage dependence for unsuspended graphene on the SiO 2 substrate. The theories of the Casimir friction and the near-field radiative energy transfer are used to study the heat generation and dissipation in graphene due to the interaction with phonon-polaritons in the (amorphous) SiO 2 substrate and acoustic phonons in graphene. For suspended graphene, the energy transfer coefficient at nanoscale gap is ∝ three orders of magnitude larger than the radiative heat transfer coefficient of the blackbody radiation limit.

Casimir rack and pinion as a miniaturized kinetic energy harvester

Science.gov (United States)

Miri, MirFaez; Etesami, Zahra

2016-08-01

We study a nanoscale machine composed of a rack and a pinion with no contact, but intermeshed via the lateral Casimir force. We adopt a simple model for the random velocity of the rack subject to external random forces, namely, a dichotomous noise with zero mean value. We show that the pinion, even when it experiences random thermal torque, can do work against a load. The device thus converts the kinetic energy of the random motions of the rack into useful work.

The field theory of symmetrical layered electrolytic systems and the thermal Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, D S; Horgan, R R

2005-01-01

We present a general extension of a field-theoretic approach developed in earlier papers to the calculation of the free energy of symmetrically layered electrolytic systems which is based on the sine-Gordon field theory for the Coulomb gas. The method is to construct the partition function in terms of the Feynman evolution kernel in the Euclidean time variable associated with the coordinate normal to the surfaces defining the layered structure. The theory is applicable to cylindrical systems and its development is motivated by the possibility that a static van der Waals or thermal Casimir force could provide an attractive force stabilizing a dielectric tube formed from a lipid bilayer, an example of which is provided by the t-tubules occurring in certain muscle cells. In this context, we apply the theory to the calculation of the thermal Casimir effect for a dielectric tube of radius R and thickness δ formed from such a membrane in water. In a grand canonical approach we find that the leading contribution to the Casimir energy behaves like -k B TLκ C /R which gives rise to an attractive force which tends to contract the tube radius. We find that κ C ∼0.3 for the case of typical lipid membrane t-tubules. We conclude that except in the case of a very soft membrane this force is insufficient to stabilize such tubes against the bending stress which tends to increase the radius. We briefly discuss the role of the lipid membrane reservoir implicit in the approach and whether its nature in biological systems may possibly lead to a stabilizing mechanism for such lipid tubes

The Casimir effect: medium and geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marachevsky, Valery N

2012-01-01

Theory of the Casimir effect is presented in several examples. Casimir–Polder-type formulas, Lifshitz theory and theory of the Casimir effect for two gratings separated by a vacuum slit are derived. Equations for the electromagnetic field in the presence of a medium and dispersion are discussed. The Casimir effect for systems with a layer of 2 + 1 fermions is studied. This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical in honour of Stuart Dowker's 75th birthday devoted to ‘Applications of zeta functions and other spectral functions in mathematics and physics’. (paper)

Attractive electromagnetic Casimir stress on a spherical dielectric shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, N.; Quandt, M.; Weigel, H.

2013-01-01

Based on calculations involving an idealized boundary condition, it has long been assumed that the stress on a spherical conducting shell is repulsive. We use the more realistic case of a Drude dielectric to show that the stress is attractive, matching the generic behavior of Casimir forces in electromagnetism. We trace the discrepancy between these two cases to interactions between the electromagnetic quantum fluctuations and the dielectric material

Casimir Interaction from Magnetically Coupled Eddy Currents

Science.gov (United States)

Intravaia, Francesco; Henkel, Carsten

2009-09-01

We study the quantum and thermal fluctuations of eddy (Foucault) currents in thick metallic plates. A Casimir interaction between two plates arises from the coupling via quasistatic magnetic fields. As a function of distance, the relevant eddy current modes cross over from a quantum to a thermal regime. These modes alone reproduce previously discussed thermal anomalies of the electromagnetic Casimir interaction between good conductors. In particular, they provide a physical picture for the Casimir entropy whose nonzero value at zero temperature arises from a correlated, glassy state.

On the effects from the simultaneous occurrence of the critical Casimir and dispersion forces between conical colloid particle and a thick plate immersed in nonpolar critical fluid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valchev Galin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Here we study the interplay between the van der Waals (vdWF and critical Casimir forces (CCF, as well as the total force (TF between a conical colloid particle and a thick planar slab. We do that using general scaling arguments and mean-field type calculations utilizing the so-called “surface integration approach”, a generalization of the well known Derjaguin approximation. Its usage in the present research, requires knowledge on the forces between two parallel slabs, confining in between some fluctuating fluid medium characterized by its temperature T and chemical potential μ. The surfaces of the colloid particle and the slab are assumed coated by thin layers exerting strong preference to the liquid phase of a simple fluid, or one of the components of a binary mixture, modeled by strong adsorbing local surface potentials, ensuring the so-called (+,+ boundary conditions. On the other hand, the core region of the slab and the particle, influence the fluid by long-ranged competing dispersion potentials. We demonstrate that for a suitable set of colloid-fluid, slab-fluid, and fluid-fluid coupling parameters the competition between the effects due to the coatings and the core regions of the objects, result, when one changes T or μ, in sign change of the Casimir force (CF and the TF acting between the colloid and the slab. Such an effect can provide a strategy for solving problems with handling, feeding, trapping and fixing of microparts in nanotechnology.

Edge corrections to electromagnetic Casimir energies from general-purpose Mathieu-function routines

Science.gov (United States)

Blose, Elizabeth Noelle; Ghimire, Biswash; Graham, Noah; Stratton-Smith, Jeremy

2015-01-01

Scattering theory methods make it possible to calculate the Casimir energy of a perfectly conducting elliptic cylinder opposite a perfectly conducting plane in terms of Mathieu functions. In the limit of zero radius, the elliptic cylinder becomes a finite-width strip, which allows for the study of edge effects. However, existing packages for computing Mathieu functions are insufficient for this calculation because none can compute Mathieu functions of both the first and second kind for complex arguments. To address this shortcoming, we have written a general-purpose Mathieu-function package, based on algorithms developed by Alhargan. We use these routines to find edge corrections to the proximity force approximation for the Casimir energy of a perfectly conducting strip opposite a perfectly conducting plane.

Casimir-Polder shifts on quantum levitation states

Science.gov (United States)

Crépin, P.-P.; Dufour, G.; Guérout, R.; Lambrecht, A.; Reynaud, S.

2017-03-01

An ultracold atom above a horizontal mirror experiences quantum reflection from the attractive Casimir-Polder interaction, which holds it against gravity and leads to quantum levitation states. We analyze this system by using a Liouville transformation of the Schrödinger equation and a Langer coordinate adapted to problems with a classical turning point. Reflection on the Casimir-Polder attractive well is replaced by reflection on a repulsive wall, and the problem is then viewed as an ultracold atom trapped inside a cavity with gravity and Casimir-Polder potentials acting, respectively, as top and bottom mirrors. We calculate numerically Casimir-Polder shifts of the energies of the cavity resonances and propose an approximate treatment which is precise enough to discuss spectroscopy experiments aimed at tests of the weak-equivalence principle on antihydrogen. We also discuss the lifetimes by calculating complex energies associated with cavity resonances.

Thermofield dynamics and Casimir effect for fermions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Queiroz, H.; Silva, J.C. da; Khanna, F.C.; Malbouisson, J.M.C.; Revzen, M.; Santana, A.E.

2005-01-01

A generalization of the Bogoliubov transformation is developed to describe a space compactified fermionic field. The method is the fermionic counterpart of the formalism introduced earlier for bosons [Phys. Rev. A 66 (2002) 052101], and is based on the thermofield dynamics approach. We analyze the energy-momentum tensor for the Casimir effect of a free massless fermion field in a d-dimensional box at finite temperature. As a particular case the Casimir energy and pressure for the field confined in a three-dimensional parallelepiped box are calculated. It is found that the attractive or repulsive nature of the Casimir pressure on opposite faces changes depending on the relative magnitude of the edges. We also determine the temperature at which the Casimir pressure in a cubic box changes sign and estimate its value when the edge of the cube is of the order of the confining lengths for baryons

Acoustic Casimir Effect

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Homes, Christopher

1997-01-01

...). When the indirect manifestations of the ZPF are interpreted as due to radiation pressure, acoustic noise can provide an excellent analog to investigate the Casimir effect as well as other effects due to the ZPF...

Resolution of an apparent inconsistency in the electromagnetic Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alnes, H; Olaussen, K; Ravndal, F; Wehus, I K

2007-01-01

The vacuum expectation value of the electromagnetic energy-momentum tensor between two parallel plates in spacetime dimensions D > 4 is calculated in the axial gauge. While the pressure between the plates agrees with the global Casimir force, the energy density is divergent at the plates and not compatible with the total energy which follows from the force. However, subtracting the divergent self-energies of the plates, the resulting energy is finite and consistent with the force. In analogy with the corresponding scalar case for spacetime dimensions D > 2, the divergent self-energy of a single plate can be related to the lack of conformal invariance of the electromagnetic Lagrangian for dimensions D > 4. (fast track communication)

Long Range Forces between Atomic Impurities in Liquid Helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupont-Roc, J.

2002-01-01

Van der Waals or Casimir interaction between neutral quantum objects in their ground state is known to be universally attractive. This is not necessarily so when these objects are embedded in a polarizable medium. We show that atomic impurities in liquid helium may indeed realize repulsive forces, and even Van der Waals and Casimir forces with different signs. (author)

Dynamical Casimir effect with semi-transparent mirrors, and cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elizalde, Emilio

2008-01-01

After reviewing some essential features of the Casimir effect and, specifically, of its regularization by zeta function and Hadamard methods, we consider the dynamical Casimir effect (or Fulling-Davies theory), where related regularization problems appear, with a view to an experimental verification of this theory. We finish with a discussion of the possible contribution of vacuum fluctuations to dark energy, in a Casimir-like fashion, that might involve the dynamical version

Dynamic Pull-In Investigation of a Clamped-Clamped Nanoelectromechanical Beam under Ramp-Input Voltage and the Casimir Force

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir R. Askari

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of the Casimir excitation on dynamic pull-in instability of a nanoelectromechanical beam under ramp-input voltage is studied. The ramp-input actuation has applications in frequency sweeping of RF-N/MEMS. The presented model is nonlinear due to the inherent nonlinearity of electrostatics and the Casimir excitations as well as the geometric nonlinearity of midplane stretching. A Galerkin based reduced order modeling is utilized. It is found that the calculated dynamic pull-in ramp input voltage leads to dynamic pull-in step input voltage by increasing the slope of voltage-time diagram. This fact is utilized to verify the results of present study.

A remembrance of Hendrik Casimir in the 60th anniversary of his discovery, with some basic considerations on the Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elizalde, Emilio

2009-01-01

When the number and importance of the applications of the Casimir effect are flourishing, and on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his beautiful discovery, as a tribute to the memory of Hendrik Brugt Gerhard Casimir I discuss here some fundamental issues related with the effect that need to be recalled from time to time, as well as on some of my personal impressions of Prof. Casimir. This article may also serve as an easy introduction for the non-specialist willing to learn something about the quantum vacuum.

Maxwell-Chern-Simons Casimir effect. II. Circular boundary conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milton, K.A.; Ng, Y.J.

1992-01-01

In odd-dimensional spaces, gauge invariance permits a Chern-Simons mass term for the gauge fields in addition to the usual Maxwell-Yang-Mills kinetic energy term. We study the Casimir effect in such a (2+1)-dimensional Abelian theory. The case of parallel conducting lines was considered by us in a previous paper. Here we discuss the Casimir effect for a circle and examine the effect of finite temperature. The Casimir stress is found to be attractive at both low and high temperatures

Sign change in the net force in sphere-plate and sphere-sphere systems immersed in nonpolar critical fluid due to the interplay between the critical Casimir and dispersion van der Waals forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Valchev, Galin; Dantchev, Daniel

2017-08-01

We study systems in which both long-ranged van der Waals and critical Casimir interactions are present. The latter arise as an effective force between bodies when immersed in a near-critical medium, say a nonpolar one-component fluid or a binary liquid mixture. They are due to the fact that the presence of the bodies modifies the order parameter profile of the medium between them as well as the spectrum of its allowed fluctuations. We study the interplay between these forces, as well as the total force (TF) between a spherical colloid particle and a thick planar slab and between two spherical colloid particles. We do that using general scaling arguments and mean-field-type calculations utilizing the Derjaguin and the surface integration approaches. They both are based on data of the forces between two parallel slabs separated at a distance L from each other, confining the fluctuating fluid medium characterized by its temperature T and chemical potential μ. The surfaces of the colloid particles and the slab are coated by thin layers exerting strong preference to the liquid phase of the fluid, or one of the components of the mixture, modeled by strong adsorbing local surface potentials, ensuring the so-called (+,+) boundary conditions. On the other hand, the core region of the slab and the particles influence the fluid by long-ranged competing dispersion potentials. We demonstrate that for a suitable set of colloids-fluid, slab-fluid, and fluid-fluid coupling parameters, the competition between the effects due to the coatings and the core regions of the objects involved result, when one changes T, μ, or L, in sign change of the Casimir force (CF) and the TF acting between the colloid and the slab, as well as between the colloids. This can be used for governing the behavior of objects, say colloidal particles, at small distances, say in colloid suspensions for preventing flocculation. It can also provide a strategy for solving problems with handling, feeding

Sign change in the net force in sphere-plate and sphere-sphere systems immersed in nonpolar critical fluid due to the interplay between the critical Casimir and dispersion van der Waals forces

Science.gov (United States)

Valchev, Galin; Dantchev, Daniel

2017-08-01

We study systems in which both long-ranged van der Waals and critical Casimir interactions are present. The latter arise as an effective force between bodies when immersed in a near-critical medium, say a nonpolar one-component fluid or a binary liquid mixture. They are due to the fact that the presence of the bodies modifies the order parameter profile of the medium between them as well as the spectrum of its allowed fluctuations. We study the interplay between these forces, as well as the total force (TF) between a spherical colloid particle and a thick planar slab and between two spherical colloid particles. We do that using general scaling arguments and mean-field-type calculations utilizing the Derjaguin and the surface integration approaches. They both are based on data of the forces between two parallel slabs separated at a distance L from each other, confining the fluctuating fluid medium characterized by its temperature T and chemical potential μ . The surfaces of the colloid particles and the slab are coated by thin layers exerting strong preference to the liquid phase of the fluid, or one of the components of the mixture, modeled by strong adsorbing local surface potentials, ensuring the so-called (+,+) boundary conditions. On the other hand, the core region of the slab and the particles influence the fluid by long-ranged competing dispersion potentials. We demonstrate that for a suitable set of colloids-fluid, slab-fluid, and fluid-fluid coupling parameters, the competition between the effects due to the coatings and the core regions of the objects involved result, when one changes T , μ , or L , in sign change of the Casimir force (CF) and the TF acting between the colloid and the slab, as well as between the colloids. This can be used for governing the behavior of objects, say colloidal particles, at small distances, say in colloid suspensions for preventing flocculation. It can also provide a strategy for solving problems with handling, feeding

Casimir-Polder interaction in second quantization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schiefele, Juergen

2011-03-21

The Casimir-Polder interaction between a single neutral atom and a nearby surface, arising from the (quantum and thermal) fluctuations of the electromagnetic field, is a cornerstone of cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED), and theoretically well established. Recently, Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) of ultracold atoms have been used to test the predictions of cQED. The purpose of the present thesis is to upgrade single-atom cQED with the many-body theory needed to describe trapped atomic BECs. Tools and methods are developed in a second-quantized picture that treats atom and photon fields on the same footing. We formulate a diagrammatic expansion using correlation functions for both the electromagnetic field and the atomic system. The formalism is applied to investigate, for BECs trapped near surfaces, dispersion interactions of the van der Waals-Casimir-Polder type, and the Bosonic stimulation in spontaneous decay of excited atomic states. We also discuss a phononic Casimir effect, which arises from the quantum fluctuations in an interacting BEC. (orig.)

Casimir-Polder interaction in second quantization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiefele, Juergen

2011-01-01

The Casimir-Polder interaction between a single neutral atom and a nearby surface, arising from the (quantum and thermal) fluctuations of the electromagnetic field, is a cornerstone of cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED), and theoretically well established. Recently, Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) of ultracold atoms have been used to test the predictions of cQED. The purpose of the present thesis is to upgrade single-atom cQED with the many-body theory needed to describe trapped atomic BECs. Tools and methods are developed in a second-quantized picture that treats atom and photon fields on the same footing. We formulate a diagrammatic expansion using correlation functions for both the electromagnetic field and the atomic system. The formalism is applied to investigate, for BECs trapped near surfaces, dispersion interactions of the van der Waals-Casimir-Polder type, and the Bosonic stimulation in spontaneous decay of excited atomic states. We also discuss a phononic Casimir effect, which arises from the quantum fluctuations in an interacting BEC. (orig.)

Casimir energy for twisted piecewise uniform bosonic strings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, J.; Huang, B.; Shanghai, Teachers Univ.

1998-01-01

The Casimir energy for the transverse oscillations of piecewise uniform bosonic strings with either untwisted or twisted continuous conditions is discussed. After calculating the analytic values of zeros of the dispersion function under certain conditions, is obtained the Casimir energy for both open and closed bosonic strings composed of two or three segments

Casimir elements of epsilon Lie algebras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheunert, M.

1982-10-01

The classical framework for investigating the Casimir elements of a Lie algebra is generalized to the case of an epsilon Lie algebra L. We construct the standard L-module isomorphism of the epsilon-symmetric algebra of L onto its enveloping algebra and we introduce the Harish-Chandra homomorphism. In case the generators of L can be written in a canonical two-index form, we construct the associated standard sequence of Casimir elements and derive a formula for their eigenvalues in an arbitrary highest weight module. (orig.)

Casimir effect for interacting fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kay, B.S.

1982-01-01

The author discusses some recent work on the Casimir effect: that is the problem of renormalizing Tsub(μγ) on locally-flat space-times. That is on space-times which, while topologically non-trivial are locally Minkowskian - with vanishing local curvature. The author has developed a systematic method for calculating this Casimir effect for interacting fields to arbitrary order in perturbation theory - and for arbitrary components of Tsub(μγ) which he describes in general and then illustrates it by describing first order perturbation theory calculations for a lambdaphi 4 theory for the two models: the cylinder space-time and the parallel plates. (Auth.)

Microscopic dynamical Casimir effect

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Reinaldo de Melo e.; Impens, François; Neto, Paulo A. Maia

2018-03-01

We consider an atom in its ground state undergoing a nonrelativistic oscillation in free space. The interaction with the electromagnetic quantum vacuum leads to two effects to leading order in perturbation theory. When the mechanical frequency is larger than the atomic transition frequency, the dominant effect is the motion-induced transition to an excited state with the emission of a photon carrying the excess energy. We compute the angular distribution of emitted photons and the excitation rate. On the other hand, when the mechanical frequency is smaller than the transition frequency, the leading-order effect is the parametric emission of photon pairs, which constitutes the microscopic counterpart of the dynamical Casimir effect. We discuss the properties of the microscopic dynamical Casimir effect and build a connection with the photon production by an oscillating macroscopic metallic mirror.

Casimir quantum levitation tuned by means of material properties and geometries

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Maofeng; Lou, Fei; Boström, Mathias; Brevik, Iver; Persson, Clas

2014-05-01

The Casimir force between two surfaces is attractive in most cases. Although stable suspension of nano-objects has been achieved, the sophisticated geometries make them difficult to be merged with well-established thin film processes. We find that by introducing thin film surface coating on porous substrates, a repulsive to attractive force transition is achieved when the separations are increased in planar geometries, resulting in a stable suspension of two surfaces near the force transition separation. Both the magnitude of the force and the transition distance can be flexibly tailored though modifying the properties of the considered materials, that is, thin film thickness, doping concentration, and porosity. This stable suspension can be used to design new nanodevices with ultralow friction. Moreover, it might be convenient to merge this thin film coating approach with micro- and nanofabrication processes in the future.

Casimir-Foucault interaction: Free energy and entropy at low temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Intravaia, Francesco; Ellingsen, Simen Å.; Henkel, Carsten

2010-09-01

It was recently found that thermodynamic anomalies which arise in the Casimir effect between metals described by the Drude model can be attributed to the interaction of fluctuating Foucault (or eddy) currents [F. Intravaia and C. Henkel, Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.103.130405 103, 130405 (2009).] We focus on the transverse electric (TE) polarization, where the anomalies occur, and show explicitly that the two leading terms of the low-temperature correction to the Casimir free energy of interaction between two plates are identical to those pertaining to the Foucault current interaction alone, up to a correction which is very small for good metals. Moreover, a mode density along real frequencies is introduced, showing that the TE contribution to the Casimir free energy, as given by the Lifshitz theory, separates in a natural manner into contributions from eddy currents and propagating cavity modes, respectively. The latter have long been known to be of little importance to the low-temperature Casimir anomalies. This convincingly demonstrates that eddy current modes are responsible for the large temperature correction to the Casimir effect between Drude metals, predicted by the Lifshitz theory, but not observed in experiments.

Casimir-Foucault interaction: Free energy and entropy at low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Intravaia, Francesco; Ellingsen, Simen A.; Henkel, Carsten

2010-01-01

It was recently found that thermodynamic anomalies which arise in the Casimir effect between metals described by the Drude model can be attributed to the interaction of fluctuating Foucault (or eddy) currents [F. Intravaia and C. Henkel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 130405 (2009).] We focus on the transverse electric (TE) polarization, where the anomalies occur, and show explicitly that the two leading terms of the low-temperature correction to the Casimir free energy of interaction between two plates are identical to those pertaining to the Foucault current interaction alone, up to a correction which is very small for good metals. Moreover, a mode density along real frequencies is introduced, showing that the TE contribution to the Casimir free energy, as given by the Lifshitz theory, separates in a natural manner into contributions from eddy currents and propagating cavity modes, respectively. The latter have long been known to be of little importance to the low-temperature Casimir anomalies. This convincingly demonstrates that eddy current modes are responsible for the large temperature correction to the Casimir effect between Drude metals, predicted by the Lifshitz theory, but not observed in experiments.

Electronic zero-point fluctuation forces inside circuit components

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Ulf

2018-01-01

One of the most intriguing manifestations of quantum zero-point fluctuations are the van der Waals and Casimir forces, often associated with vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. We study generalized fluctuation potentials acting on internal degrees of freedom of components in electrical circuits. These electronic Casimir-like potentials are induced by the zero-point current fluctuations of any general conductive circuit. For realistic examples of an electromechanical capacitor and a superconducting qubit, our results reveal the possibility of tunable forces between the capacitor plates, or the level shifts of the qubit, respectively. Our analysis suggests an alternative route toward the exploration of Casimir-like fluctuation potentials, namely, by characterizing and measuring them as a function of parameters of the environment. These tunable potentials may be useful for future nanoelectromechanical and quantum technologies. PMID:29719863

Electronic zero-point fluctuation forces inside circuit components.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahmoon, Ephraim; Leonhardt, Ulf

2018-04-01

One of the most intriguing manifestations of quantum zero-point fluctuations are the van der Waals and Casimir forces, often associated with vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. We study generalized fluctuation potentials acting on internal degrees of freedom of components in electrical circuits. These electronic Casimir-like potentials are induced by the zero-point current fluctuations of any general conductive circuit. For realistic examples of an electromechanical capacitor and a superconducting qubit, our results reveal the possibility of tunable forces between the capacitor plates, or the level shifts of the qubit, respectively. Our analysis suggests an alternative route toward the exploration of Casimir-like fluctuation potentials, namely, by characterizing and measuring them as a function of parameters of the environment. These tunable potentials may be useful for future nanoelectromechanical and quantum technologies.

Quantum and classical vacuum forces at zero and finite temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niekerken, Ole

2009-06-01

In this diploma thesis the Casimir-Polder force at zero temperature and at finite temperatures is calculated by using a well-defined quantum field theory (formulated in position space) and the method of image charges. For the calculations at finite temperature KMS-states are used. The so defined temperature describes the temperature of the electromagnetic background. A one oscillator model for inhomogeneous dispersive absorbing dielectric material is introduced and canonically quantized to calculate the Casimir-Polder force at a dielectric interface at finite temperature. The model fulfils causal commutation relations and the dielectric function of the model fulfils the Kramer-Kronig relations. We then use the same methods to calculate the van der Waals force between two neutral atoms at zero temperature and at finite temperatures. It is shown that the high temperature behaviour of the Casimir-Polder force and the van der Waals force are independent of ℎ. This means that they have to be understood classically, what is then shown in an algebraic statistical theory by using classical KMS states. (orig.)

Casimir friction between polarizable particle and half-space with radiation damping at zero temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Høye, J S; I Brevik; Milton, K A

2015-01-01

Casimir friction between a polarizable particle and a semi-infinite space is a delicate physical phenomenon, as it concerns the interaction between a microscopic quantum particle and a semi-infinite reservoir. Not unexpectedly, results obtained in the past about the friction force obtained via different routes are sometimes, at least apparently, wildly different from each other. Recently, we considered the Casimir friction force for two dielectric semi-infinite plates moving parallel to each other Høye and Brevik (2014 Eur. Phys. J. D 68 61), and managed to get essential agreement with results obtained by Pendry (1997 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 9 10301), Volokitin and Persson (2007 Rev. Mod. Phys. 79 1291), and Barton (2011 New J. Phys. 13 043023; 2011 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 23 335004). Our method was based upon use of the Kubo formalism. In the present paper we focus on the interaction between a polarizable particle and a dielectric half-space again, and calculate the friction force using the same basic method as before. The new ingredient in the present analysis is that we take into account radiative damping, and derive the modifications thereof. Some comparisons are also made with works from others. Essential agreement with the results of Intravaia, Behunin, and Dalvit can also be achieved using the modification of the atomic polarizability by the metallic plate. (paper)

Development of a Strontium Magneto-Optical Trap for Probing Casimir-Polder Potentials

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Paul J.

In recent years, cold atoms have been the centerpiece of many remarkably sensitive measurements, and much effort has been made to devise miniaturized quantum sensors and quantum information processing devices. At small distances, however, mechanical effects of the quantum vacuum begin to significantly impact the behavior of the cold-atom systems. A better understanding of how surface composition and geometry affect Casimir and Casimir-Polder potentials would benefit future engineering of small-scale devices. Unfortunately, theoretical solutions are limited and the number of experimental techniques that can accurately detect such short-range forces is relatively small. We believe the exemplary properties of atomic strontium--which have enabled unprecedented frequency metrology in optical lattice clocks--make it an ideal candidate for probing slight spectroscopic perturbations caused by vacuum fluctuations. To that end, we have constructed a magneto-optical trap for strontium to enable future study of atom-surface potentials, and the apparatus and proposed detection scheme are discussed herein. Of special note is a passively stable external-cavity diode laser we developed that is both affordable and competitive with high-end commercial options.

Generalized closed form solutions for feasible dimension limit and pull-in characteristics of nanocantilever under the Influences of van der Waals and Casimir forces

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Banibrata; Sen, Siddhartha

2018-04-01

This paper presents generalized closed form expressions for determining the dimension limit for the basic design parameters as well as the pull-in characteristics of a nanocantilever beam under the influences of van der Waals and Casimir forces. The coupled nonlinear electromechanical problem of electrostatic nanocantilever is formulated in nondimensional form with Galerkin’s approximation considering the effects of these intermolecular forces and fringe field. The resulting integrals and higher order polynomials are solved numerically to derive the closed form expressions for maximum permissible detachment length, minimum feasible gap spacing and critical pull-in limit. The derived expressions are compared and validated as well with several reported literature showing reasonable agreement. The major advantages of the proposed closed form expressions are that, they do not contain any complex mathematical term or operation unlike in reported literature and thus they will serve as convenient tools for the NEMS community in successful design of various electrostatically actuated nanosystems.

Effect of intermolecular force on the static/dynamic behaviour of M/NEM devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Namjung; Aluru, N. R.

2014-12-01

Advances made in the fabrication of micro/nano-electromechanical (M/NEM) devices over the last ten years necessitate the understanding of the attractive force that arises from quantum fluctuations (generally referred to as Casimir effects) [Casimir H B G 1948 Proc. K. Ned. Akad. Wet. 51 793]. The fundamental mechanisms underlying quantum fluctuations have been actively investigated through various theoretical and experimental approaches. However, the effect of the force on M/NEM devices has not been fully understood yet, especially in the transition region involving gaps ranging from 10 nm to 1 μm, due to the complexity of the force. Here, we numerically calculate the Casimir effects in M/NEM devices by using the Lifshitz formula, the general expression for the Casimir effects [Lifshitz E 1956 Sov. Phys. JETP 2 73]. Since the Casimir effects are highly dependent on the permittivity of the materials, the Kramer-Kronig relation [Landau L D, Lifshitz E M and Pitaevskii L P 1984 Electrodynamics of Continuous Media (New York: Pergamon Press)] and the optical data for metals and dielectrics are used in order to obtain the permittivity. Several simplified models for the permittivity of the materials, such as the Drude and Lorentz models [Jackson J D 1975 Classical Electrodynamics (New York: Wiley)], are also used to extrapolate the optical data. Important characteristic values of M/NEM devices, such as the pull-in voltage, pull-in gap, detachment length, etc, are calculated for devices operating in the transition region. Our results show that accurate predictions for the pull-in behaviour are possible when the Lifshitz formula is used instead of the idealized expressions for Casimir effects. We expand this study into the dynamics of M/NEM devices, so that the time and frequency response of M/NEM devices with Casimir effects can be explored.

Effect of intermolecular force on the static/dynamic behaviour of M/NEM devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Namjung; Aluru, N R

2014-01-01

Advances made in the fabrication of micro/nano-electromechanical (M/NEM) devices over the last ten years necessitate the understanding of the attractive force that arises from quantum fluctuations (generally referred to as Casimir effects) [Casimir H B G 1948 Proc. K. Ned. Akad. Wet. 51 793]. The fundamental mechanisms underlying quantum fluctuations have been actively investigated through various theoretical and experimental approaches. However, the effect of the force on M/NEM devices has not been fully understood yet, especially in the transition region involving gaps ranging from 10 nm to 1 μm, due to the complexity of the force. Here, we numerically calculate the Casimir effects in M/NEM devices by using the Lifshitz formula, the general expression for the Casimir effects [Lifshitz E 1956 Sov. Phys. JETP 2 73]. Since the Casimir effects are highly dependent on the permittivity of the materials, the Kramer–Kronig relation [Landau L D, Lifshitz E M and Pitaevskii L P 1984 Electrodynamics of Continuous Media (New York: Pergamon Press)] and the optical data for metals and dielectrics are used in order to obtain the permittivity. Several simplified models for the permittivity of the materials, such as the Drude and Lorentz models [Jackson J D 1975 Classical Electrodynamics (New York: Wiley)], are also used to extrapolate the optical data. Important characteristic values of M/NEM devices, such as the pull-in voltage, pull-in gap, detachment length, etc, are calculated for devices operating in the transition region. Our results show that accurate predictions for the pull-in behaviour are possible when the Lifshitz formula is used instead of the idealized expressions for Casimir effects. We expand this study into the dynamics of M/NEM devices, so that the time and frequency response of M/NEM devices with Casimir effects can be explored. (paper)

Evanescent radiation, quantum mechanics and the Casimir effect

Science.gov (United States)

Schatten, Kenneth H.

1989-01-01

An attempt to bridge the gap between classical and quantum mechanics and to explain the Casimir effect is presented. The general nature of chaotic motion is discussed from two points of view: the first uses catastrophe theory and strange attractors to describe the deterministic view of this motion; the underlying framework for chaos in these classical dynamic systems is their extreme sensitivity to initial conditions. The second interpretation refers to randomness associated with probabilistic dynamics, as for Brownian motion. The present approach to understanding evanescent radiation and its relation to the Casimir effect corresponds to the first interpretation, whereas stochastic electrodynamics corresponds to the second viewpoint. The nonlinear behavior of the electromagnetic field is also studied. This well-understood behavior is utilized to examine the motions of two orbiting charges and shows a closeness between the classical behavior and the quantum uncertainty principle. The evanescent radiation is used to help explain the Casimir effect.

Casimir-type effects for scalar fields interacting with material slabs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fialkovsky, I V; Pis'mak, Yu M; Markov, V N

2010-01-01

We study the field theoretical model of a scalar field in the presence of spacial inhomogeneities in the form of one and two finite-width mirrors (material slabs). The interaction of the scalar field with the defect is described with a position-dependent mass term. For a single-layer system we develop a rigorous calculation method and derive explicitly the propagator of the theory, the S-matrix elements and the Casimir self-energy of the slab. Detailed investigation of particular limits of self-energy is presented, and the connection to known cases is discussed. The calculation method is also found applicable to the two-mirror case. With its help we derive the corresponding Casimir energy and analyze it. For particular values of parameters of the model an obtained result recovers the Lifshitz formula. We also propose a procedure to unambiguously obtain the finite Casimir self-energy of a single slab without reference to any renormalization conditions. We hope that our approach can be applied to the calculation of Casimir self-energies in other demanded cases (such as a dielectric ball, etc).

Singular perturbations with boundary conditions and the Casimir effect in the half space

Science.gov (United States)

Albeverio, S.; Cognola, G.; Spreafico, M.; Zerbini, S.

2010-06-01

We study the self-adjoint extensions of a class of nonmaximal multiplication operators with boundary conditions. We show that these extensions correspond to singular rank 1 perturbations (in the sense of Albeverio and Kurasov [Singular Perturbations of Differential Operaters (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000)]) of the Laplace operator, namely, the formal Laplacian with a singular delta potential, on the half space. This construction is the appropriate setting to describe the Casimir effect related to a massless scalar field in the flat space-time with an infinite conducting plate and in the presence of a pointlike "impurity." We use the relative zeta determinant (as defined in the works of Müller ["Relative zeta functions, relative determinants and scattering theory," Commun. Math. Phys. 192, 309 (1998)] and Spreafico and Zerbini ["Finite temperature quantum field theory on noncompact domains and application to delta interactions," Rep. Math. Phys. 63, 163 (2009)]) in order to regularize the partition function of this model. We study the analytic extension of the associated relative zeta function, and we present explicit results for the partition function and for the Casimir force.

Casimir energy of a BEC: from moderate interactions to the ideal gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiefele, J; Henkel, C

2009-01-01

Considering the Casimir effect due to phononic excitations of a weakly interacting dilute Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), we derive a renormalized expression for the zero-temperature Casimir energy E C of a BEC confined to a parallel plate geometry with periodic boundary conditions. Our expression is formally equivalent to the free energy of a bosonic field at finite temperature, with a nontrivial density of modes that we compute analytically. As a function of the interaction strength, E C smoothly describes the transition from the weakly interacting Bogoliubov regime to the non-interacting ideal BEC. For the weakly interacting case, E C reduces to leading order to the Casimir energy due to zero-point fluctuations of massless phonon modes. In the limit of an ideal Bose gas, our result correctly describes the Casimir energy going to zero

Repulsive Casimir-Polder potential by a negative reflecting surface

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Qi-Zhang

2015-07-01

We present a scheme to generate an all-range long repulsive Casimir-Polder potential between a perfect negative reflecting surface and a ground-state atom. The repulsive potential is stable and does not decay with time. The Casimir-Polder potential is proportional to z-2 at short atom-surface distances and to z-4 at long atom-surface distances. Because of these advantages, this potential can help in building quantum reflectors, quantum levitating devices, and waveguides for matter waves.

Casimir energy density for spherical universes in n-dimensional spacetime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oezcan, Mustafa

2006-01-01

We consider the Casimir effect for the massless conformal scalar field in an n-dimensional, closed, static universe. We calculate the renormalized vacuum energy density using the covariant point-splitting method, the mode-sum regularization and the renormalized vacuum energy with the zeta-function regularization. We observe that all odd spacetime dimensions give us the zero renormalized vacuum energy density. For even spacetime dimensions the renormalized vacuum energy density oscillates in sign. The result agrees with three regularization techniques. The Casimir energy density for spherical universes in n-dimensional spacetime is regarded as interesting both to understand the correspondence between the sign of the effect and the dimension of manifold in topology and as a key to confirming the Casimir energy for half spherical universes (manifold with boundary) in n-dimensional spacetime

The Casimir effect as a candidate of dark energy

OpenAIRE

Matsumoto, Jiro

2013-01-01

It is known that the simply evaluated value of the zero point energy of quantum fields is extremely deviated from the observed value of dark energy density. In this paper, we consider whether the Casimir energy, which is the zero point energy brought from boundary conditions, can cause the accelerating expansion of the Universe by using proper renormalization method and introducing the fermions of finite temperature living in $3+n+1$ space-time. We show that the zero temperature Casimir energ...

Casimir energy and the possibility of higher dimensional manipulation

OpenAIRE

Obousy, R. K.; Saharian, A. A.

2009-01-01

It is well known that the Casimir effect is an excellent candidate for the stabilization of the extra dimensions. It has also been suggested that the Casimir effect in higher dimensions may be the underlying phenomenon that is responsible for the dark energy which is currently driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. In this paper we suggest that, in principle, it may be possible to directly manipulate the size of an extra dimension locally using Standard Model fields in the next ge...

Thermal Fluctuations in Casimir Pistons

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, M.; Villarreal, C.

2012-07-01

We present analytical and simple expressions to determine the free energy, internal energy, entropy, as well as the pressure acting at the interface of a perfectly conducting rectangular Casimir piston. We show that infrared divergencies linear in temperature become cancelled within the piston configuration, and show a continuous behavior consistent with intuitive expectations.

Casimir Energy, Extra Dimensions and Exotic Propulsion

Science.gov (United States)

Obousy, R.; Saharian, A.

It is well known that the Casimir effect is an excellent candidate for the stabilization of the extra dimensions. It has also been suggested that the Casimir effect in higher dimensions may be the underlying phenomenon that is responsible for the dark energy which is currently driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. In this paper we suggest that, in principle, it may be possible to directly manipulate the size of an extra dimension locally using Standard Model fields in the next generation of particle accelerators. This adjustment of the size of the higher dimension could serve as a technological mechanism to locally adjust the dark energy density and change the local expansion of spacetime. This idea holds tantalizing possibilities in the context of exotic spacecraft propulsion.

Dynamics of the Vacuum and Casimir Analogs to the Hydrogen Atom

Science.gov (United States)

White, Harold; Vera, Jerry; Bailey, Paul; March, Paul; Lawrence, Tim; Sylvester, Andre; Brady, David

2015-01-01

This paper will discuss the current viewpoint of the vacuum state and explore the idea of a "natural" vacuum as opposed to immutable, non-degradable vacuum. This concept will be explored for all primary quantum numbers to show consistency with observation at the level of Bohr theory. A comparison with the Casimir force per unit area will be made, and an explicit function for the spatial variation of the vacuum density around the atomic nucleus will be derived. This explicit function will be numerically modeled using the industry multi-physics tool, COMSOL(trademark), and the eigenfrequencies for the n = 1 to n = 7 states will be found and compared to expectation.

Short-range fundamental forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antoniadis, I.; Baessler, S.; Buchner, M.; Fedorov, V.V.; Hoedl, S.; Nesvizhevsky, V.V.; Pignol, G.; Protasov, K.V.; Lambrecht, A.; Reynaud, S.; Sobolev, Y.

2010-01-01

We consider theoretical motivations to search for extra short-range fundamental forces as well as experiments constraining their parameters. The forces could be of two types: 1) spin-independent forces; 2) spin-dependent axion-like forces. Different experimental techniques are sensitive in respective ranges of characteristic distances. The techniques include measurements of gravity at short distances, searches for extra interactions on top of the Casimir force, precision atomic and neutron experiments. We focus on neutron constraints, thus the range of characteristic distances considered here corresponds to the range accessible for neutron experiments

Scalar Casimir energies in M4≥/sup N/ for even N

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantowski, R.; Milton, K.A.

1987-01-01

We construct a Green's-function formalism for computing vacuum-fluctuation energies of scalar fields in 4+N dimensions, where the extra N dimensions are compactified into a hypersphere S/sup N/ of radius a. In all cases a leading cosmological energy term u/sub cosmo/proportionala/sup N//b/sup 4+N/ results. Here b is an ultraviolet cutoff at the Planck scale. In all cases an unambiguous Casimir energy is computed. For odd N these energies agree with those calculated by Candelas and Weinberg. For even N, the Casimir energy is logarithmically divergent: u/sub Casimir/--(α/sub N//a 4 )ln(a/b). The coefficients α/sub N/ are computed in terms of Bernoulli numbers

Quest for Casimir repulsion between Chern-Simons surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Fialkovsky, Ignat; Khusnutdinov, Nail; Vassilevich, Dmitri

2018-04-01

In this paper we critically reconsider the Casimir repulsion between surfaces that carry the Chern-Simons interaction (corresponding to the Hall-type conductivity). We present a derivation of the Lifshitz formula valid for arbitrary planar geometries and discuss its properties. This analysis allows us to resolve some contradictions in the previous literature. We compute the Casimir energy for two surfaces that have constant longitudinal and Hall conductivities. The repulsion is possible only if both surfaces have Hall conductivities of the same sign. However, there is a critical value of the longitudinal conductivity above which the repulsion disappears. We also consider a model where both parity odd and parity even terms in the conductivity are produced by the polarization tensor of surface modes. In contrast to the previous publications [L. Chen and S.-L. Wan, Phys. Rev. B 84, 075149 (2011), 10.1103/PhysRevB.84.075149; Phys. Rev. B 85, 115102 (2012), 10.1103/PhysRevB.85.115102], we include the parity anomaly term. This term ensures that the conductivities vanish for infinitely massive surface modes. We find that at least for a single mode, regardless of the sign and value of its mass, there is no Casimir repulsion.

Casimir free energy of dielectric films: classical limit, low-temperature behavior and control.

Science.gov (United States)

Klimchitskaya, G L; Mostepanenko, V M

2017-07-12

The Casimir free energy of dielectric films, both free-standing in vacuum and deposited on metallic or dielectric plates, is investigated. It is shown that the values of the free energy depend considerably on whether the calculation approach used neglects or takes into account the dc conductivity of film material. We demonstrate that there are material-dependent and universal classical limits in the former and latter cases, respectively. The analytic behavior of the Casimir free energy and entropy for a free-standing dielectric film at low temperature is found. According to our results, the Casimir entropy goes to zero when the temperature vanishes if the calculation approach with neglected dc conductivity of a film is employed. If the dc conductivity is taken into account, the Casimir entropy takes the positive value at zero temperature, depending on the parameters of a film, i.e. the Nernst heat theorem is violated. By considering the Casimir free energy of SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 films deposited on a Au plate in the framework of two calculation approaches, we argue that physically correct values are obtained by disregarding the role of dc conductivity. A comparison with the well known results for the configuration of two parallel plates is made. Finally, we compute the Casimir free energy of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 and Ge films deposited on high-resistivity Si plates of different thicknesses and demonstrate that it can be positive, negative and equal to zero. The effect of illumination of a Si plate with laser light is considered. Possible applications of the obtained results to thin films used in microelectronics are discussed.

Casimir free energy of dielectric films: classical limit, low-temperature behavior and control

Science.gov (United States)

Klimchitskaya, G. L.; Mostepanenko, V. M.

2017-07-01

The Casimir free energy of dielectric films, both free-standing in vacuum and deposited on metallic or dielectric plates, is investigated. It is shown that the values of the free energy depend considerably on whether the calculation approach used neglects or takes into account the dc conductivity of film material. We demonstrate that there are material-dependent and universal classical limits in the former and latter cases, respectively. The analytic behavior of the Casimir free energy and entropy for a free-standing dielectric film at low temperature is found. According to our results, the Casimir entropy goes to zero when the temperature vanishes if the calculation approach with neglected dc conductivity of a film is employed. If the dc conductivity is taken into account, the Casimir entropy takes the positive value at zero temperature, depending on the parameters of a film, i.e. the Nernst heat theorem is violated. By considering the Casimir free energy of SiO2 and Al2O3 films deposited on a Au plate in the framework of two calculation approaches, we argue that physically correct values are obtained by disregarding the role of dc conductivity. A comparison with the well known results for the configuration of two parallel plates is made. Finally, we compute the Casimir free energy of SiO2, Al2O3 and Ge films deposited on high-resistivity Si plates of different thicknesses and demonstrate that it can be positive, negative and equal to zero. The effect of illumination of a Si plate with laser light is considered. Possible applications of the obtained results to thin films used in microelectronics are discussed.

Casimir effect in hyperbolic polygons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmedov, H

2007-01-01

Using the point splitting regularization method and the trace formula for the spectra of quantum-mechanical systems in hyperbolic polygons which are the fundamental domains of discrete isometry groups acting in the two-dimensional hyperboloid we calculate the Casimir energy for massless scalar fields in hyperbolic polygons. The dependence of the vacuum energy on the number of vertices is established

Casimir Energy of Rotating String --- Indirect Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hadasz, Leszek

1999-04-01

Methods of calculating the Casimir energy which do not require the explicit knowledge of the oscillation frequencies are developed and applied to the model of the Nambu--Goto string with the Gauss--Bonnet term in the action.

Casimir energy of rotating string - indirect approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadasz, L.

1999-01-01

Methods of calculating the Casimir energy which do not require the explicit knowledge of the oscillation frequencies are developed and applied to the model of the Nambu-Goto string with the Gauss-Bonnet term in the action. (author)

Casimir apparatuses in a weak gravitational field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bimonte, Giuseppe; Calloni, Enrico; Esposito, Giampiero

2009-01-01

We review and assess a part of the recent work on Casimir apparatuses in the weak gravitational field of the Earth. For a free, real massless scalar field subject to Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions on the parallel plates, the resulting regularized and renormalized energy-momentum tensor...... is covariantly conserved, while the trace anomaly vanishes if the massless field is conformally coupled to gravity. Conformal coupling also ensures a finite Casimir energy and finite values of the pressure upon parallel plates. These results have been extended to an electromagnetic field subject to perfect...... conductor (hence idealized) boundary conditions on parallel plates, by various authors. The regularized and renormalized energy-momentum tensor has beene valuated up to second order in the gravity acceleration. In both the scalar and the electromagnetic case, studied to first order in the gravity...

Fluctuation-induced forces on an atom near a photonic topological material

Science.gov (United States)

Silveirinha, Mário G.; Gangaraj, S. Ali Hassani; Hanson, George W.; Antezza, Mauro

2018-02-01

We theoretically study the Casimir-Polder force on an atom in an arbitrary initial state in a rather general electromagnetic environment wherein the materials may have a nonreciprocal bianisotropic dispersive response. It is shown that under the Markov approximation the force has resonant and nonresonant contributions. We obtain explicit expressions for the optical force both in terms of the system Green function and of the electromagnetic modes. We apply the theory to the particular case wherein a two-level system interacts with a topological gyrotropic material, showing that the nonreciprocity enables exotic light-matter interactions and the opportunity to sculpt and tune the Casimir-Polder forces on the nanoscale. With a quasistatic approximation, we obtain a simple analytical expression for the optical force and unveil the crucial role of surface plasmons in fluctuation-induced forces. Finally, we derive the Green function for a gyrotropic material half-space in terms of a Sommerfeld integral.

Vector Casimir effect for a D-dimensional sphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milton, K.A.

1997-01-01

The Casimir energy or stress due to modes in a D-dimensional volume subject to TM (mixed) boundary conditions on a bounding spherical surface is calculated. Both interior and exterior modes are included. Together with earlier results found for scalar modes (TE modes), this gives the Casimir effect for fluctuating open-quotes electromagneticclose quotes (vector) fields inside and outside a spherical shell. Known results for three dimensions, first found by Boyer, are reproduced. Qualitatively, the results for TM modes are similar to those for scalar modes: Poles occur in the stress at positive even dimensions, and cusps (logarithmic singularities) occur for integer dimensions D≤1. Particular attention is given the interesting case of D=2. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Maxwell-Chern-Simons Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milton, K.A.; Ng, Y.J.

1990-01-01

The topology of (2+1)-dimensional space permits the construction of quantum electrodynamics with the usual Maxwell action augmented by a gauge-invariant, but P- and T-violating, Chern-Simons mass term. We discuss the Casimir effect between parallel lines in such a theory. The effect of finite temperature is also considered. In principle, our results provide a way to measure the topological mass of the photon

Fermions on the low-buckled honey-comb structured lattice plane and classical Casimir-Polder force

Science.gov (United States)

Goswami, Partha

2016-05-01

We start with the well-known expression for the vacuum polarization and suitably modify it for 2+1-dimensional spin-orbit coupled (SOC) fermions on the low-buckled honey-comb structured lattice plane described by the low-energy Liu-Yao-Feng-Ezawa (LYFE) model Hamiltonian involving the Dirac matrices in the chiral representation obeying the Clifford algebra. The silicene and germanene fit this description suitably. They have the Dirac cones similar to those of graphene and SOC is much stronger. The system could be normal or ferromagnetic in nature. The silicene turns into the latter type if there is exchange field arising due to the proximity coupling to a ferromagnet (FM) such as depositing Fe atoms to the silicene surface. For the silicene, we find that the many-body effects considerably change the bare Coulomb potential by way of the dependence of the Coulomb propagator on the real-spin, iso-spin and the potential due to an electric field applied perpendicular to the silicene plane. The computation aspect of the Casimir-Polder force (CPF) needs to be investigated in this paper. An important quantity in this process is the dielectric response function (DRF) of the material. The plasmon branch was obtained by finding the zeros of DRF in the long-wavelength limit. This leads to the plasmon frequencies. We find that the collective charge excitations at zero doping, i.e., intrinsic plasmons, in this system, are absent in the Dirac limit. The valley-spin-split intrinsic plasmons, however, come into being in the case of the massive Dirac particles with characteristic frequency close to 10 THz. Our scheme to calculate the Casimir-Polder interaction (CPI) of a micro-particle with a sheet involves replacing the dielectric constant of the sample in the CPI expression obtained on the basis of the Lifshitz theory by the static DRF obtained using the expressions for the polarization function we started with. Though the approach replaces a macroscopic constant by a microscopic

Casimir effect in a d-dimensional flat spacetime and the cut-off method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svaiter, N.F.; Svaiter, B.F.

1989-01-01

The CasiMir efeect in a D-dimensional spacetime produced by a Hermitian massless scalar field in the presence of a pair of perfectly reflecting parallel flat plates is discussed. The exponential cut-off regularization method is employed. The regularized vacuum energy and the Casimir energy of this field are evaluated and a detailed analysis of the divergent terms in the regularized vacuum energy is carried out. The two-dimensional version of the Casimir effect is discussed by means of the same cut-off method. A comparison between the above method and the zeta function regularization procedure is presented in a way which gives the unification between these two methods in the present case. (author) [pt

Casimir energy of rotating string - indirect approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hadasz, L. [Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Cracow (Poland)

1999-04-01

Methods of calculating the Casimir energy which do not require the explicit knowledge of the oscillation frequencies are developed and applied to the model of the Nambu-Goto string with the Gauss-Bonnet term in the action. (author) 17 refs, 1 fig

Casimir effect for a semitransparent wedge and an annular piston

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milton, Kimball A.; Wagner, Jef; Kirsten, Klaus

2009-01-01

We consider the Casimir energy due to a massless scalar field in a geometry of an infinite wedge closed by a Dirichlet circular cylinder, where the wedge is formed by δ-function potentials, so-called semitransparent boundaries. A finite expression for the Casimir energy corresponding to the arc and the presence of both semitransparent potentials is obtained, from which the torque on the sidewalls can be derived. The most interesting part of the calculation is the nontrivial nature of the angular mode functions. Numerical results are obtained which are closely analogous to those recently found for a magnetodielectric wedge, with the same speed of light on both sides of the wedge boundaries. Alternative methods are developed for annular regions with radial semitransparent potentials, based on reduced Green's functions for the angular dependence, which allows calculations using the multiple-scattering formalism. Numerical results corresponding to the torque on the radial plates are likewise computed, which generalize those for the wedge geometry. Generally useful formulas for calculating Casimir energies in separable geometries are derived.

Casimir energy for a piecewise uniform string

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brevik, I.; Nielsen, H.B.

1989-07-01

The Casimir energy for the transverse oscillations of a piecewise uniform closed string is calculated. The string consists of two parts I and II, endowed in general with different tensions and mass densities, although adjusted in such a way that the velocity of sound always equals the velocity of light. The dispersion equation is worked out under general conditions, and the frequency spectrum is determined in special cases. When the ratio L II /L I between the string lengths is an integer, it is in principle possible to determine the frequency spectrum through solving algebraic equations of increasingly high degree. The Casimir energy relative to the uniform string is in general found to be negative, although in the special case L I =L II the energy is equal to zero. Delicate points in the regularization procedure are discussed; they point toward an anomaly in the theory. (orig.)

Vacuum energy and Casimir force in the presence of a dimensional parameter in the boundary condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebedev, S.L.

2001-01-01

The Hamiltonian for a scalar field that satisfies the boundary condition -∂ n φ=(1/δ)φ must include a surface potential energy. The corresponding term in the Casimir energy E-tilde C proves to be a leading one when the dimension of the region is l ∼ δ. The energy E-tilde C does not involve arbitrariness associated with regularization and is an unambiguously determined function of the field mass m, the size l, and the penetration depth δ. The inclusion of the surface term is of importance for ensuring that the derivative -∂ E-tilde C /∂l is equal to the ll component of the vacuum energy-momentum tensor. The Casimir energy E-tilde C is related to its volume component E C by a Legendre transformation where the quantity conjugate to 1/δ is the product of the vacuum surface energy and δ. If δ is negative and if h-bar/mc> vertical bar δ vertical bar, there exists a critical value l=l c (δ) above which (l>l c ) the vacuum is unstable; if a self-interaction of the form φ 4 is taken into account, this will lead to a phase transition accompanied by the formation of a condensate of the field φ. If δ=+0 or ∞ and if the dimensionalities are even, it is possible to construct a vacuum energy-momentum tensor (not only energy) that is finite over the entire space. Specially chosen counterterms leave unchanged the analytic dependence of the vacuum energy on the dimensionality of space and the character of the coordinate dependence of the energy density for x>h-bar/mc

Standard Model Extension and Casimir effect for fermions at finite temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, A.F., E-mail: alesandroferreira@fisica.ufmt.br [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, 78060-900, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso (Brazil); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC (Canada); Khanna, Faqir C., E-mail: khannaf@uvic.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC (Canada); Department of Physics, University of Alberta, T6J 2J1, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)

2016-11-10

Lorentz and CPT symmetries are foundations for important processes in particle physics. Recent studies in Standard Model Extension (SME) at high energy indicate that these symmetries may be violated. Modifications in the lagrangian are necessary to achieve a hermitian hamiltonian. The fermion sector of the standard model extension is used to calculate the effects of the Lorentz and CPT violation on the Casimir effect at zero and finite temperature. The Casimir effect and Stefan–Boltzmann law at finite temperature are calculated using the thermo field dynamics formalism.

Casimir interaction between gas media of excited atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherkunov, Yury

2007-01-01

The retarded dispersion interaction (Casimir interaction) between two dilute dielectric media at high temperatures is considered. The excited atoms are taken into account. It is shown that the perturbation technique cannot be applied to this problem due to divergence of integrals. A non-perturbative approach based on kinetic Green functions is implemented. We consider the interaction between two atoms (one of them is excited) embedded in an absorbing dielectric medium. We take into account the possible absorption of photons in the medium, which solves the problem of divergence. The force between two plane dilute dielectric media is calculated at pair interaction approximation. We show that the result of quantum electrodynamics differs from the Lifshitz formula for dilute gas media at high temperatures (if the number of excited atoms is significant). According to quantum electrodynamics, the interaction may be either attractive or repulsive depending on the temperature and the density numbers of the media

Determination of the Contact Angle Based on the Casimir Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Mazuruk, Konstantin; Volz, Martin P.

2015-01-01

On a macroscopic scale, a nonreactive liquid partially covering a homogeneous solid surface will intersect the solid at an angle called the contact angle. For molten metals and semiconductors, the contact angle is materially dependent upon both the solid and liquid and typical values fall in the range 80-170 deg, depending on the crucible material. On a microscopic scale, there does not exist a precise and sharp contact angle but rather the liquid and solid surfaces merge smoothly and continuously. Consider the example of the so called detached Bridgman crystal growth process. In this technique, a small gap is formed between the growing crystal and the crucible. At the crystal/melt interface, a meniscus ring is formed. Its width can be in the range of a few micrometers, approaching a microscopic scale. It then becomes questionable to describe the shape of this meniscus by the contact angle. A more advanced treatment of the interface is needed and here we propose such a refined model. The interaction of the liquid surface with the solid can be calculated by considering two forces: a short-range repulsive force and a longer range (up to a few micrometers) Casimir or van der Waals force.

Casimir energy of a nonuniform string

Science.gov (United States)

Hadasz, L.; Lambiase, G.; Nesterenko, V. V.

2000-07-01

The Casimir energy of a nonuniform string built up from two pieces with different speeds of sound is calculated. A standard procedure of subtracting the energy of an infinite uniform string is applied, the subtraction being interpreted as the renormalization of the string tension. It is shown that in the case of a homogeneous string this method is completely equivalent to zeta renormalization.

Quantum and classical vacuum forces at zero and finite temperature; Quantentheoretische und klassische Vakuum-Kraefte bei Temperatur Null und bei endlicher Temperatur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niekerken, Ole

2009-06-15

In this diploma thesis the Casimir-Polder force at zero temperature and at finite temperatures is calculated by using a well-defined quantum field theory (formulated in position space) and the method of image charges. For the calculations at finite temperature KMS-states are used. The so defined temperature describes the temperature of the electromagnetic background. A one oscillator model for inhomogeneous dispersive absorbing dielectric material is introduced and canonically quantized to calculate the Casimir-Polder force at a dielectric interface at finite temperature. The model fulfils causal commutation relations and the dielectric function of the model fulfils the Kramer-Kronig relations. We then use the same methods to calculate the van der Waals force between two neutral atoms at zero temperature and at finite temperatures. It is shown that the high temperature behaviour of the Casimir-Polder force and the van der Waals force are independent of {Dirac_h}. This means that they have to be understood classically, what is then shown in an algebraic statistical theory by using classical KMS states. (orig.)

Casimir effect and thermodynamics of horizon instabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartnoll, Sean A.

2004-01-01

We propose a dual thermodynamic description of a classical instability of generalized black hole spacetimes. From a thermodynamic perspective, the instability is due to negative compressibility in regions where the Casimir pressure is large. The argument indicates how the correspondence between thermodynamic and classical instability for horizons may be extended to cases without translational invariance

Symmetries and casimir of an extended classical long wave system

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Keywords. Dispersionless equations; symmetries; casimir; conserved quantities. ... Application of Lie symmetry analysis to integro-differential equations or infinite systems ..... The financial support in the form of Senior Research Fellowship.

Neumann Casimir effect: A singular boundary-interaction approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fosco, C.D.; Lombardo, F.C.; Mazzitelli, F.D.

2010-01-01

Dirichlet boundary conditions on a surface can be imposed on a scalar field, by coupling it quadratically to a δ-like potential, the strength of which tends to infinity. Neumann conditions, on the other hand, require the introduction of an even more singular term, which renders the reflection and transmission coefficients ill-defined because of UV divergences. We present a possible procedure to tame those divergences, by introducing a minimum length scale, related to the nonzero 'width' of a nonlocal term. We then use this setup to reach (either exact or imperfect) Neumann conditions, by taking the appropriate limits. After defining meaningful reflection coefficients, we calculate the Casimir energies for flat parallel mirrors, presenting also the extension of the procedure to the case of arbitrary surfaces. Finally, we discuss briefly how to generalize the worldline approach to the nonlocal case, what is potentially useful in order to compute Casimir energies in theories containing nonlocal potentials; in particular, those which we use to reproduce Neumann boundary conditions.

EDITORIAL: The nonstationary Casimir effect and quantum systems with moving boundaries

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, Gabriel; Dodonov, Victor V.; Man'ko, Vladimir I.

2005-03-01

This topical issue of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics contains 16 contributions devoted to quantum systems with moving boundaries. In a broad sense, the papers continue the studies opened exactly 100 years ago by Einstein in his seminal work on the electrodynamics of moving bodies and the quantum nature of light. Another jubilee which we wish to celebrate by launching this issue is the 80th anniversary of the publication of two papers, where the first solutions of the classical Maxwell equations in a one-dimensional cavity with moving boundaries were obtained, by T H Havelock (1924 Some dynamical illustrations of the pressure of radiation and of adiabatic invariance Phil. Mag. 47 754-71) and by E L Nicolai (1925 On a dynamical illustration of the pressure of radiation Phil. Mag. 49 171-7). As was shown by Einstein, studying the fluctuations of the electromagnetic field inevitably leads one to its quantum (corpuscular) nature. Many papers in this issue deal with problems where moving boundaries produce parametric excitation of vacuum fluctuations of the field, which could result in several different observable effects, like the modification of the famous Casimir force, or the creation of real quanta from the vacuum. It is worth emphasizing that these phenomena, frequently referred to as nonstationary (or dynamical) Casimir effects, are no longer the province only of pure theorists: some experimental groups have already started long-term work aimed at observing such effects in the laboratory. Of course, many difficult problems remain to be resolved before this dream becomes reality. Several papers here show both important progress in this direction, and possible difficulties still to be tackled. Problems that have been considered include, in particular, decoherence, entanglement, and the roles of geometry and polarization. Other papers deal with fundamental problems like the Unruh effect, the interaction of accelerated relativistic atoms with

Casimir energies in M4≥/sup N/ for even N. Green's-function and zeta-function techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantowski, R.; Milton, K.A.

1987-01-01

The Green's-function technique developed in the first paper in this series is generalized to apply to massive scalar, vector, second-order tensor, and Dirac spinor fields, as a preliminary to a full graviton calculation. The Casimir energies are of the form u/sub Casimir/ = (1/a 4 )[α/sub N/lna/b)+β/sub N/], where N (even) is the dimension of the internal sphere, a is its radius, and b/sup -1/ is an ultraviolet cutoff (presumably at the Planck scale). The coefficient of the divergent logarithm, α/sub N/, is unambiguously obtained for each field considered. The Green's-function technique gives rise to no difficulties in the evaluation of imaginary-mass-mode contributions to the Casimir energy. In addition, a new, simplified zeta-function technique is presented which is very easily implemented by symbolic programs, and which, of course, gives the same results. An error in a previous zeta-function calculation of the Casimir energy for even N is pointed out

Casimir amplitudes and capillary condensation of near-critical fluids between parallel plates: renormalized local functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Ryuichi; Onuki, Akira

2012-03-21

We investigate the critical behavior of a near-critical fluid confined between two parallel plates in contact with a reservoir by calculating the order parameter profile and the Casimir amplitudes (for the force density and for the grand potential). Our results are applicable to one-component fluids and binary mixtures. We assume that the walls absorb one of the fluid components selectively for binary mixtures. We propose a renormalized local functional theory accounting for the fluctuation effects. Analysis is performed in the plane of the temperature T and the order parameter in the reservoir ψ(∞). Our theory is universal if the physical quantities are scaled appropriately. If the component favored by the walls is slightly poor in the reservoir, there appears a line of first-order phase transition of capillary condensation outside the bulk coexistence curve. The excess adsorption changes discontinuously between condensed and noncondensed states at the transition. With increasing T, the transition line ends at a capillary critical point T=T(c) (ca) slightly lower than the bulk critical temperature T(c) for the upper critical solution temperature. The Casimir amplitudes are larger than their critical point values by 10-100 times at off-critical compositions near the capillary condensation line. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

Force sensor for chameleon and Casimir force experiments with parallel-plate configuration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Almasi, A.; Brax, P.; Iannuzzi, D.; Sedmik, R.

2015-01-01

The search for non-Newtonian forces has been pursued following many different paths. Recently it was suggested that hypothetical chameleon interactions, which might explain the mechanisms behind dark energy, could be detected in a high-precision force measurement. In such an experiment, interactions

Eigenvalues of Casimir operators for the general linear, the special linear, and the orthosymplectic Lie superalgebras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheunert, M.

1982-10-01

The generators of the algebras under consideration can be written in a canonical two-index form and hence the associated standard seuqence of Casimir elements can be constructed. Following the classical approach by Perelomov and Popov, we obtain the eigenvalues of these Casimir elements in an arbitrary highest weight module by calculating the corresponding generating functions. (orig.)

The stochastic energy-Casimir method

Science.gov (United States)

Arnaudon, Alexis; Ganaba, Nader; Holm, Darryl D.

2018-04-01

In this paper, we extend the energy-Casimir stability method for deterministic Lie-Poisson Hamiltonian systems to provide sufficient conditions for stability in probability of stochastic dynamical systems with symmetries. We illustrate this theory with classical examples of coadjoint motion, including the rigid body, the heavy top, and the compressible Euler equation in two dimensions. The main result is that stable deterministic equilibria remain stable in probability up to a certain stopping time that depends on the amplitude of the noise for finite-dimensional systems and on the amplitude of the spatial derivative of the noise for infinite-dimensional systems. xml:lang="fr"

On the Casimir scaling violation in the cusp anomalous dimension at small angle

Science.gov (United States)

Grozin, Andrey; Henn, Johannes; Stahlhofen, Maximilian

2017-10-01

We compute the four-loop n f contribution proportional to the quartic Casimir of the QCD cusp anomalous dimension as an expansion for small cusp angle ϕ. This piece is gauge invariant, violates Casimir scaling, and first appears at four loops. It requires the evaluation of genuine non-planar four-loop Feynman integrals. We present results up to O({φ}^4) . One motivation for our calculation is to probe a recent conjecture on the all-order structure of the cusp anomalous dimension. As a byproduct we obtain the four-loop HQET wave function anomalous dimension for this color structure.

Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt theorems and generalized Casimir invariants for some infinite-dimensional Lie groups: II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ton-That, Tuong

2005-01-01

In a previous paper we gave a generalization of the notion of Casimir invariant differential operators for the infinite-dimensional Lie groups GL ∞ (C) (or equivalently, for its Lie algebra gj ∞ (C)). In this paper we give a generalization of the Casimir invariant differential operators for a class of infinite-dimensional Lie groups (or equivalently, for their Lie algebras) which contains the infinite-dimensional complex classical groups. These infinite-dimensional Lie groups, and their Lie algebras, are inductive limits of finite-dimensional Lie groups, and their Lie algebras, with some additional properties. These groups or their Lie algebras act via the generalized adjoint representations on projective limits of certain chains of vector spaces of universal enveloping algebras. Then the generalized Casimir operators are the invariants of the generalized adjoint representations. In order to be able to explicitly compute the Casimir operators one needs a basis for the universal enveloping algebra of a Lie algebra. The Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt (PBW) theorem gives an explicit construction of such a basis. Thus in the first part of this paper we give a generalization of the PBW theorem for inductive limits of Lie algebras. In the last part of this paper a generalization of the very important theorem in representation theory, namely the Chevalley-Racah theorem, is also discussed

Supersymmetry Breaking Casimir Warp Drive

Science.gov (United States)

Obousy, Richard K.; Cleaver, Gerald

2007-01-01

This paper utilizes a recent model which relates the cosmological constant to the Casimir energy of the extra dimensions in brane-world theories. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that, given some sufficiently advanced civilization with the ability to manipulate the radius of the extra dimension, a local adjustment of the cosmological constant could be created. This adjustment would facilitate an expansion/contraction of the spacetime around a spacecraft creating an exotic form of field-propulsion. This idea is analogous to the Alcubierre bubble, but differs entirely in the approach, utilizing the physics of higher dimensional quantum field theory, instead of general relativity.

Pull-in instability of paddle-type and double-sided NEMS sensors under the accelerating force

Science.gov (United States)

Keivani, M.; Khorsandi, J.; Mokhtari, J.; Kanani, A.; Abadian, N.; Abadyan, M.

2016-02-01

Paddle-type and double-sided nanostructures are potential for use as accelerometers in flying vehicles and aerospace applications. Herein the pull-in instability of the cantilever paddle-type and double-sided sensors in the Casimir regime are investigated under the acceleration. The D'Alembert principle is employed to transform the accelerating system into an equivalent static system by incorporating the accelerating force. Based on the couple stress theory (CST), the size-dependent constitutive equations of the sensors are derived. The governing nonlinear equations are solved by two approaches, i.e. modified variational iteration method and finite difference method. The influences of the Casimir force, geometrical parameters, acceleration and the size phenomenon on the instability performance have been demonstrated. The obtained results are beneficial to design and fabricate paddle-type and double-sided accelerometers.

Spherical Casimir pistons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dowker, J S, E-mail: dowker@man.ac.uk [Theory Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom)

2011-08-07

A piston is introduced into a spherical lune Casimir cavity turning it into two adjacent lunes separated by the (hemispherical) piston. On the basis of zeta-function regularization, the vacuum energy of the arrangement is finite for conformal propagation in spacetime. For even spheres this energy is independent of the angle of the lune. For odd dimensions it is shown that for all Neumann, or all Dirichlet, boundary conditions the piston is repelled or attracted by the nearest wall if d = 3, 7, ... or if d = 1, 5, ... , respectively. For hybrid N-D conditions these requirements are switched. If a mass is added, divergences arise which render the model suspect. The analysis, however, is relatively straightforward and involves the Barnes zeta function. The extension to finite temperatures is made and it is shown that for the 3, 7, ... series of odd spheres, the repulsion by the walls continues but that, above a certain temperature, the free energy acquires two minima symmetrically placed about the midpoint.

Spherical Casimir pistons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dowker, J S

2011-01-01

A piston is introduced into a spherical lune Casimir cavity turning it into two adjacent lunes separated by the (hemispherical) piston. On the basis of zeta-function regularization, the vacuum energy of the arrangement is finite for conformal propagation in spacetime. For even spheres this energy is independent of the angle of the lune. For odd dimensions it is shown that for all Neumann, or all Dirichlet, boundary conditions the piston is repelled or attracted by the nearest wall if d = 3, 7, ... or if d = 1, 5, ... , respectively. For hybrid N-D conditions these requirements are switched. If a mass is added, divergences arise which render the model suspect. The analysis, however, is relatively straightforward and involves the Barnes zeta function. The extension to finite temperatures is made and it is shown that for the 3, 7, ... series of odd spheres, the repulsion by the walls continues but that, above a certain temperature, the free energy acquires two minima symmetrically placed about the midpoint.

BPS ZN string tensions, sine law and Casimir scaling, and integrable field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kneipp, Marco A. C.

2007-01-01

We consider a Yang-Mills-Higgs theory with spontaneous symmetry breaking of the gauge group G→U(1) r →C G , with C G being the center of G. We study two vacua solutions of the theory which produce this symmetry breaking. We show that for one of these vacua, the theory in the Coulomb phase has the mass spectrum of particles and monopoles which is exactly the same as the mass spectrum of particles and solitons of two-dimensional affine Toda field theory, for suitable coupling constants. That result holds also for N=4 super Yang-Mills theories. On the other hand, in the Higgs phase, we show that for each of the two vacua the ratio of the tensions of the BPS Z N strings satisfy either the Casimir scaling or the sine law scaling for G=SU(N). These results are extended to other gauge groups: for the Casimir scaling, the ratios of the tensions are equal to the ratios of the quadratic Casimir constant of specific representations; for the sine law scaling, the tensions are proportional to the components of the left Perron-Frobenius eigenvector of Cartan matrix K ij and the ratios of tensions are equal to the ratios of the soliton masses of affine Toda field theories

Helical bifurcation and tearing mode in a plasma—a description based on Casimir foliation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Z; Dewar, R L

2012-01-01

The relation between the helical bifurcation of a Taylor relaxed state (a Beltrami equilibrium) and a tearing mode is analyzed in a Hamiltonian framework. Invoking an Eulerian representation of the Hamiltonian, the symplectic operator (defining a Poisson bracket) becomes non-canonical, i.e. the symplectic operator has a nontrivial cokernel (dual to its nullspace), foliating the phase space into level sets of Casimir invariants. A Taylor relaxed state is an equilibrium point on a Casimir (helicity) leaf. Changing the helicity, equilibrium points may bifurcate to produce helical relaxed states; a necessary and sufficient condition for bifurcation is derived. Tearing yields a helical perturbation on an unstable equilibrium, producing a helical structure approximately similar to a helical relaxed state. A slight discrepancy found between the helically bifurcated relaxed state and the linear tearing mode viewed as a perturbed, singular equilibrium state is attributed to a Casimir element (named ‘helical flux’) pertinent to a ‘resonance singularity’ of the non-canonical symplectic operator. While the helical bifurcation can occur at discrete eigenvalues of the Beltrami parameter, the tearing mode, being a singular eigenfunction, exists for an arbitrary Beltrami parameter. Bifurcated Beltrami equilibria appearing on the same helicity leaf are isolated by the helical-flux Casimir foliation. The obstacle preventing the tearing mode to develop in the ideal limit turns out to be the shielding current sheet on the resonant surface, preventing the release of the ‘potential energy’. When this current is dissipated by resistivity, reconnection is allowed and tearing instability occurs. The Δ′ criterion for linear tearing instability of Beltrami equilibria is shown to be directly related to the spectrum of the curl operator. (paper)

Force Analysis and Energy Operation of Chaotic System of Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Guoyuan; Hu, Jianbing

2017-12-01

The disadvantage of a nondimensionalized model of a permanent-magnet synchronous Motor (PMSM) is identified. The original PMSM model is transformed into a Kolmogorov system to aid dynamic force analysis. The vector field of the PMSM is analogous to the force field including four types of torque — inertial, internal, dissipative, and generalized external. Using the feedback thought, the error torque between external torque and dissipative torque is identified. The pitchfork bifurcation of the PMSM is performed. Four forms of energy are identified for the system — kinetic, potential, dissipative, and supplied. The physical interpretations of the decomposition of force and energy exchange are given. Casimir energy is stored energy, and its rate of change is the error power between the dissipative energy and the energy supplied to the motor. Error torque and error power influence the different types of dynamic modes. The Hamiltonian energy and Casimir energy are compared to find the function of each in producing the dynamic modes. A supremum bound for the chaotic attractor is proposed using the error power and Lagrange multiplier.

On the static Casimir effect with parity-breaking mirrors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fosco, C.D. [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Centro Atomico Bariloche and Instituto Balseiro, Bariloche (Argentina); Remaggi, M.L. [Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Mendoza (Argentina)

2017-03-15

We study the Casimir interaction energy due to the vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic (EM) field in the presence of two mirrors, described by 2+1-dimensional, generally nonlocal actions, which may contain both parity-conserving and parity-breaking terms. We compare the results with the ones corresponding to Chern-Simons boundary conditions and evaluate the interaction energy for several particular situations. (orig.)

Quantum theories on noncommutative spaces with nontrivial topology: Aharonov-Bohm and Casimir effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaichian, M.; Tureanu, A.; Demichev, A.; Presnajder, P.; Sheikh-Jabbari, M.M.

2001-02-01

After discussing the peculiarities of quantum systems on noncommutative (NC) spaces with nontrivial topology and the operator representation of the *-product on them, we consider the Aharonov-Bohm and Casimir effects for such spaces. For the case of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, we have obtained an explicit expression for the shift of the phase, which is gauge invariant in the NC sense. The Casimir energy of a field theory on a NC cylinder is divergent, while it becomes finite on a torus, when the dimensionless parameter of noncommutativity is a rational number. The latter corresponds to a well-defined physical picture. Certain distinctions from other treatments based on a different way of taking the noncommutativity into account are also discussed. (author)

Selective decay by Casimir dissipation in inviscid fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gay-Balmaz, François; Holm, Darryl D

2013-01-01

The problem of parameterizing the interactions of larger scales and smaller scales in fluid flows is addressed by considering a property of two-dimensional (2D) incompressible turbulence. The property we consider is selective decay, in which a Casimir of the ideal formulation (enstrophy in 2D flows, helicity in three-dimensional flows) decays in time, while the energy stays essentially constant. This paper introduces a mechanism that produces selective decay by enforcing Casimir dissipation in fluid dynamics. This mechanism turns out to be related in certain cases to the numerical method of anticipated vorticity discussed in Sadourny and Basdevant (1981 C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 292 1061–4, 1985 J. Atm. Sci. 42 1353–63). Several examples are given and a general theory of selective decay is developed that uses the Lie–Poisson structure of the ideal theory. A scale-selection operator allows the resulting modifications of the fluid motion equations to be interpreted in several examples as parametrizing the nonlinear, dynamical interactions between disparate scales. The type of modified fluid equation systems derived here may be useful in modelling turbulent geophysical flows where it is computationally prohibitive to rely on the slower, indirect effects of a realistic viscosity, such as in large-scale, coherent, oceanic flows interacting with much smaller eddies. (paper)

Phenomenological quantum electrodynamics when epsilonμ=l: Theory and some applications including the Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brevik, I.

1983-01-01

The canonical quantum theory for an electromagnetic field within an isotropic nondispersive medium, whose permittivity, epsilon, and permeability μ satisfy the condition epsilonμ=1, is developed. This condition is found to simplify the electromagnetic formalism considerably and is of interest not only to quantum electrodynamics (QED) but also to quantum chromodynamics (QDC) in view of the formal analogy existing between these two theories to the zero-order in the gauge coupling constant. After giving a survey of the general formalism, this paper discusses appropriate modifications of known experiments in optics: the Ashkin-Dziedzic pressure experiment (1973), the Barlow experiment (1912), and the levitation experiment of Ashkin (1970) and others. Finally, a calculation is given of Casimir (i.e., zero-point) surface force acting on one of two spherical interfaces separating three media from each other, under certain simplifying conditions

Casimir energy between two parallel plates and projective representation of the Poincaré group

Science.gov (United States)

Akita, Takamaru; Matsunaga, Mamoru

2016-06-01

The Casimir effect is a physical manifestation of zero point energy of quantum vacuum. In a relativistic quantum field theory, Poincaré symmetry of the theory seems, at first sight, to imply that nonzero vacuum energy is inconsistent with translational invariance of the vacuum. In the setting of two uniform boundary plates at rest, quantum fields outside the plates have (1 +2 )-dimensional Poincaré symmetry. Taking a massless scalar field as an example, we have examined the consistency between the Poincaré symmetry and the existence of the vacuum energy. We note that, in quantum theory, symmetries are represented projectively in general and show that the Casimir energy is connected to central charges appearing in the algebra of generators in the projective representations.

Universality for shape dependence of Casimir effects from Weyl anomaly

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Rong-Xin; Chu, Chong-Sun

2018-03-01

We reveal elegant relations between the shape dependence of the Casimir effects and Weyl anomaly in boundary conformal field theories (BCFT). We show that for any BCFT which has a description in terms of an effective action, the near boundary divergent behavior of the renormalized stress tensor is completely determined by the central charges of the theory. These relations are verified by free BCFTs. We also test them with holographic models of BCFT and find exact agreement. We propose that these relations between Casimir coefficients and central charges hold for any BCFT. With the holographic models, we reproduce not only the precise form of the near boundary divergent behavior of the stress tensor, but also the surface counter term that is needed to make the total energy finite. As they are proportional to the central charges, the near boundary divergence of the stress tensor must be physical and cannot be dropped by further artificial renormalization. Our results thus provide affirmative support on the physical nature of the divergent energy density near the boundary, whose reality has been a long-standing controversy in the literature.

Generalized Riemann zeta-function regularization and Casimir energy for a piecewise uniform string

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xinzhou; Shi Xin; Zhang Jianzu.

1990-12-01

The generalized zeta-function techniques will be utilized to investigate the Casimir energy for the transverse oscillations of a piecewise uniform closed string. We find that zeta-function regularization method can lead straightforwardly to a correct result. (author). 6 refs

Casimir energy in d-dimensional rectangular geometries, under mixed boundary conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, J.C. da; Placido, Hebe Q.; Santana, A.E.; M Neto, Arthur

1997-01-01

The Casimir energy and its temperature corrections are presented for the electromagnetic field confined in a d-dimensional hypercavity. The expressions are derived considering Dirichlet boundary conditions for each pair of hyperplanes defining a confined direction (the homogeneous case); or yet, by choosing different boundary conditions (Dirichlet or Neumann) at each hyperplane of the pair (the mixed case). (author)

Casimir energy of massless fermions in the Slab-bag

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paola, R.D.M. de; Rodrigues, R.B.; Svaiter, N.F.

1999-04-01

The zero-point energy of a massless fermion field in the interior of two parallel plates in a D-dimensional space-time at zero temperature is calculated. In order to regularize the model, a mix between dimensional and zeta function regularization procedure is used and it is founded that the regularized zero-point energy density is finite for any number of space-time dimensions. We present a general expression for the Casimir energy for the fermionic field in such a situation. (author)

Quantum electrodynamics based on self-energy, without second quantization: The Lamb shift and long-range Casimir-Polder van der Waals forces near boundaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barut, A.O.; Dowling, J.P.

1986-12-01

Using a previously formulated theory of quantum electrodynamics based on self-energy, we give a general method for computing the Lamb shift and related Casimir-Polder energies for a quantum system in the vicinity of perfectly conducting boundaries. Our results are exact and easily extendable to a full covariant relativistic form. As a particular example we apply the method to an atom near an infinite conducting plane, and we recover the standard QED results (which are known only in the dipole approximation) in a simple and straightforward manner. This is accomplished in the context of the new theory which is not second quantized and contains no vacuum fluctuations. (author)

Representations of the exceptional and other Lie algebras with integral eigenvalues of the Casimir operator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macfarlane, A J; Pfeiffer, Hendryk

2003-01-01

The uniformity, for the family of exceptional Lie algebras g, of the decompositions of the powers of their adjoint representations is now well known for powers up to four. The paper describes an extension of this uniformity for the totally antisymmetrized nth powers up to n = 9, identifying families of representations with integer eigenvalues 5, ..., 9 for the quadratic Casimir operator, in each case providing a formula for the dimensions of the representations in the family as a function of D = dim g. This generalizes previous results for powers j and Casimir eigenvalues j, j ≤ 4. Many intriguing, perhaps puzzling, features of the dimension formulae are discussed and the possibility that they may be valid for a wider class of not necessarily simple Lie algebras is considered

Casimir energy and a cosmological bounce

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herdeiro, Carlos A R; Sampaio, Marco

2006-01-01

We review different computation methods for the renormalized energy-momentum tensor of a quantized scalar field in an Einstein static universe. For the extensively studied conformally coupled case, we check their equivalence; for different couplings, we discuss violation of different energy conditions. In particular, there is a family of masses and couplings which violate the weak and strong energy conditions but do not lead to spacelike propagation. Amongst these cases is that of a minimally coupled massless scalar field with no potential. We also point out a particular coupling for which a massless scalar field has vanishing renormalized energy-momentum tensor. We discuss the backreaction problem and in particular the possibility that this Casimir energy could both source a short inflationary epoch and avoid the big bang singularity through a bounce

Dispersive force between dissimilar materials: Geometrical effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noguez, Cecilia; Roman-Velazquez, C.E.

2004-01-01

We calculate the Casimir force or dispersive van der Waals force between a spherical nanoparticle and a planar substrate, both with arbitrary dielectric properties. We show that the force between the sphere and half-space can be calculated through the interacting surface plasmons of the bodies. Using a Spectral Representation formalism, we show that the force of a sphere made of a material A and a half-space made of a material B differs from the case when the sphere is made of B, and the half-space is made of A. We find that the difference depends on the plasma frequency of the materials, the geometry, and the distance of separation between the sphere and half-space. The differences show the importance of the geometry, and make evident the necessity of realistic descriptions of the system beyond the Derjaguin Approximation or Proximity Theorem Approximation

Finite temperature Casimir energy in closed rectangular cavities: a rigorous derivation based on a zeta function technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, S C; Teo, L P

2007-01-01

We derive rigorously explicit formulae of the Casimir free energy at finite temperature for massless scalar field and electromagnetic field confined in a closed rectangular cavity with different boundary conditions by a zeta regularization method. We study both the low and high temperature expansions of the free energy. In each case, we write the free energy as a sum of a polynomial in temperature plus exponentially decay terms. We show that the free energy is always a decreasing function of temperature. In the cases of massless scalar field with the Dirichlet boundary condition and electromagnetic field, the zero temperature Casimir free energy might be positive. In each of these cases, there is a unique transition temperature (as a function of the side lengths of the cavity) where the Casimir energy changes from positive to negative. When the space dimension is equal to two and three, we show graphically the dependence of this transition temperature on the side lengths of the cavity. Finally we also show that we can obtain the results for a non-closed rectangular cavity by letting the size of some directions of a closed cavity go to infinity, and we find that these results agree with the usual integration prescription adopted by other authors

Casimir-Polder forces on atoms in the presence of magnetoelectronic bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buhmann, S.Y.

2007-01-01

In this work, the CP force between a single neutral atom or molecule and neutral magnetoelectric bodies is studied. The focus lies on the pure vacuum CP force, i.e., the electromagnetic field is in general understood to be in its ground state. Furthermore, we assume that the atom-body separation is sufficiently large to ensure that the atom is adequately characterised as an electric dipole, while the body can be described by its macroscopic magnetoelectric properties; and that repulsive exchange forces due to the overlap between the electronic wave functions of the atom and the bodies can be neglected. Interactions due to non-vanishing net charges, permanent electric dipole moments, magnetisability, quadrupole (or higher multipole) polarisabilities of the atom and those resulting from non-local or anisotropic magnetoelectric properties of the bodies are ignored. (orig.)

Casimir-Polder forces on atoms in the presence of magnetoelectronic bodies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buhmann, S Y

2007-07-05

In this work, the CP force between a single neutral atom or molecule and neutral magnetoelectric bodies is studied. The focus lies on the pure vacuum CP force, i.e., the electromagnetic field is in general understood to be in its ground state. Furthermore, we assume that the atom-body separation is sufficiently large to ensure that the atom is adequately characterised as an electric dipole, while the body can be described by its macroscopic magnetoelectric properties; and that repulsive exchange forces due to the overlap between the electronic wave functions of the atom and the bodies can be neglected. Interactions due to non-vanishing net charges, permanent electric dipole moments, magnetisability, quadrupole (or higher multipole) polarisabilities of the atom and those resulting from non-local or anisotropic magnetoelectric properties of the bodies are ignored. (orig.)

Atomic physics and quantum optics using superconducting circuits: from the Dynamical Casimir effect to Majorana fermions

Science.gov (United States)

Nori, Franco

2012-02-01

This talk will present an overview of some of our recent results on atomic physics and quantum optics using superconducting circuits. Particular emphasis will be given to photons interacting with qubits, interferometry, the Dynamical Casimir effect, and also studying Majorana fermions using superconducting circuits.[4pt] References available online at our web site:[0pt] J.Q. You, Z.D. Wang, W. Zhang, F. Nori, Manipulating and probing Majorana fermions using superconducting circuits, (2011). Arxiv. J.R. Johansson, G. Johansson, C.M. Wilson, F. Nori, Dynamical Casimir effect in a superconducting coplanar waveguide, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 147003 (2009). [0pt] J.R. Johansson, G. Johansson, C.M. Wilson, F. Nori, Dynamical Casimir effect in superconducting microwave circuits, Phys. Rev. A 82, 052509 (2010). [0pt] C.M. Wilson, G. Johansson, A. Pourkabirian, J.R. Johansson, T. Duty, F. Nori, P. Delsing, Observation of the Dynamical Casimir Effect in a superconducting circuit. Nature, in press (Nov. 2011). P.D. Nation, J.R. Johansson, M.P. Blencowe, F. Nori, Stimulating uncertainty: Amplifying the quantum vacuum with superconducting circuits, Rev. Mod. Phys., in press (2011). [0pt] J.Q. You, F. Nori, Atomic physics and quantum optics using superconducting circuits, Nature 474, 589 (2011). [0pt] S.N. Shevchenko, S. Ashhab, F. Nori, Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg interferometry, Phys. Reports 492, 1 (2010). [0pt] I. Buluta, S. Ashhab, F. Nori. Natural and artificial atoms for quantum computation, Reports on Progress in Physics 74, 104401 (2011). [0pt] I.Buluta, F. Nori, Quantum Simulators, Science 326, 108 (2009). [0pt] L.F. Wei, K. Maruyama, X.B. Wang, J.Q. You, F. Nori, Testing quantum contextuality with macroscopic superconducting circuits, Phys. Rev. B 81, 174513 (2010). [0pt] J.Q. You, X.-F. Shi, X. Hu, F. Nori, Quantum emulation of a spin system with topologically protected ground states using superconducting quantum circuit, Phys. Rev. A 81, 063823 (2010).

On the dynamical Casimir effect in 1 + 1 dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, D.T.; Farina, C.; Maia Neto, P.A.; Tort, A.C.

2000-01-01

Full text follows: Vacuum field fluctuations exert radiation pressure on boundaries placed in empty space. If we take only one boundary at rest in vacuum, the total pressure exerted by the vacuum on the boundary is null. For two boundaries at rest in vacuum there is a net pressure exerted on the boundaries known as the Casimir effect. It has also been recognized that the dynamical counterparts of this static force appear for moving boundaries. In the dynamical case the existence of a net vacuum radiation pressure does not require the presence of two boundaries as in static case. Vacuum pressure already exists for a single boundary moving with a nonuniform acceleration. For that type of motion, the field does not remain in the vacuum state, but the quanta of the field are produced through nonadiabatic processes. In 1982 Ford and Vilenkin developed a perturbation method based on the static solution to calculate in first approximation the vacuum pressure exerted on a non-relativistic moving boundary. Using the method of Ford-Vilenkin we compute in the two dimensional quantum theory of a real massless scalar field the pressure exerted by the vacuum on a perfectly reflecting boundary moving with nonuniform acceleration around the coordinate x = 0 , having another boundary fixed at x = L. This simple model can provide insight into more sophisticated processes, such as photon production by moving mirrors and particle production in cosmological models and exploding black holes. (author)

The generalized Abel-Plana formula. Applications to Bessel functions and Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saharian, A.A.; Institute of Applied Problems in Physics NAS RA, Yerevan; Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste

2000-02-01

One of the most efficient methods to obtain the vacuum expectation values for the physical observables in the Casimir effect is based on using the Abel-Plana summation formula. This allows us to derive the regularized quantities in a manifestly cutoff independent way and present them in the form of strongly convergent integrals. However, the application of Abel-Plana formula, in its usual form, is restricted by simple geometries when the eigenmodes have a simple dependence on quantum numbers. The author generalized the Abel-Plana formula which essentially enlarges its application range. Based on this generalization, formulae have been obtained for various types of series over the zeros of some combinations of Bessel functions and for integrals involving these functions. It has been shown that these results generalize the special cases existing in literature. Further, the derived summation formulae have been used to summarize series arising in the mode summation approach to the Casimir effect for spherically and cylindrically symmetric boundaries. This allows us to extract the divergent parts from the vacuum expectation values for the local physical observables in a manifestly cutoff independent way. The present paper reviews these results. Some new considerations are also added. (author)

Measured long-range repulsive Casimir–Lifshitz forces

Science.gov (United States)

Munday, J. N.; Capasso, Federico; Parsegian, V. Adrian

2014-01-01

Quantum fluctuations create intermolecular forces that pervade macroscopic bodies1–3. At molecular separations of a few nanometres or less, these interactions are the familiar van der Waals forces4. However, as recognized in the theories of Casimir, Polder and Lifshitz5–7, at larger distances and between macroscopic condensed media they reveal retardation effects associated with the finite speed of light. Although these long-range forces exist within all matter, only attractive interactions have so far been measured between material bodies8–11. Here we show experimentally that, in accord with theoretical prediction12, the sign of the force can be changed from attractive to repulsive by suitable choice of interacting materials immersed in a fluid. The measured repulsive interaction is found to be weaker than the attractive. However, in both cases the magnitude of the force increases with decreasing surface separation. Repulsive Casimir–Lifshitz forces could allow quantum levitation of objects in a fluid and lead to a new class of switchable nanoscale devices with ultra-low static friction13–15. PMID:19129843

Coupled-oscillator theory of dispersion and Casimir-Polder interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berman, P. R.; Ford, G. W. [Physics Department, University of Michigan, 450 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1040 (United States); Milonni, P. W. [Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States)

2014-10-28

We address the question of the applicability of the argument theorem (of complex variable theory) to the calculation of two distinct energies: (i) the first-order dispersion interaction energy of two separated oscillators, when one of the oscillators is excited initially and (ii) the Casimir-Polder interaction of a ground-state quantum oscillator near a perfectly conducting plane. We show that the argument theorem can be used to obtain the generally accepted equation for the first-order dispersion interaction energy, which is oscillatory and varies as the inverse power of the separation r of the oscillators for separations much greater than an optical wavelength. However, for such separations, the interaction energy cannot be transformed into an integral over the positive imaginary axis. If the argument theorem is used incorrectly to relate the interaction energy to an integral over the positive imaginary axis, the interaction energy is non-oscillatory and varies as r{sup −4}, a result found by several authors. Rather remarkably, this incorrect expression for the dispersion energy actually corresponds to the nonperturbative Casimir-Polder energy for a ground-state quantum oscillator near a perfectly conducting wall, as we show using the so-called “remarkable formula” for the free energy of an oscillator coupled to a heat bath [G. W. Ford, J. T. Lewis, and R. F. O’Connell, Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 2273 (1985)]. A derivation of that formula from basic results of statistical mechanics and the independent oscillator model of a heat bath is presented.

Coupled-oscillator theory of dispersion and Casimir-Polder interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berman, P. R.; Ford, G. W.; Milonni, P. W.

2014-01-01

We address the question of the applicability of the argument theorem (of complex variable theory) to the calculation of two distinct energies: (i) the first-order dispersion interaction energy of two separated oscillators, when one of the oscillators is excited initially and (ii) the Casimir-Polder interaction of a ground-state quantum oscillator near a perfectly conducting plane. We show that the argument theorem can be used to obtain the generally accepted equation for the first-order dispersion interaction energy, which is oscillatory and varies as the inverse power of the separation r of the oscillators for separations much greater than an optical wavelength. However, for such separations, the interaction energy cannot be transformed into an integral over the positive imaginary axis. If the argument theorem is used incorrectly to relate the interaction energy to an integral over the positive imaginary axis, the interaction energy is non-oscillatory and varies as r −4 , a result found by several authors. Rather remarkably, this incorrect expression for the dispersion energy actually corresponds to the nonperturbative Casimir-Polder energy for a ground-state quantum oscillator near a perfectly conducting wall, as we show using the so-called “remarkable formula” for the free energy of an oscillator coupled to a heat bath [G. W. Ford, J. T. Lewis, and R. F. O’Connell, Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 2273 (1985)]. A derivation of that formula from basic results of statistical mechanics and the independent oscillator model of a heat bath is presented

Casimir effect at finite temperature for the Kalb-Ramond field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belich, H.; Silva, L. M.; Helayeel-Neto, J. A.; Santana, A. E.

2011-01-01

We use the thermofield dynamics formalism to obtain the energy-momentum tensor for the Kalb-Ramond field in a topology S 1 xS 1 xR 2 . The compactification is carried out by a generalized thermofield dynamics-Bogoliubov transformation that is used to define a renormalized energy-momentum tensor. The expressions for the Casimir energy and pressure at finite temperature are then derived. A comparative analysis with the electromagnetic case is developed, and the results may be important for applications, as in cuprate superconductivity, for instance.

Local and global Casimir energies for a semitransparent cylindrical shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavero-Pelaez, Ines; Milton, Kimball A; Kirsten, Klaus

2007-01-01

The local Casimir energy density and the global Casimir energy for a massless scalar field associated with a λδ-function potential in a (3 + 1)-dimensional circular cylindrical geometry are considered. The global energy is examined for both weak and strong coupling, the latter being the well-studied Dirichlet cylinder case. For weak coupling, through O(λ 2 ), the total energy is shown to vanish by both analytic and numerical arguments, based both on Green's-function and zeta-function techniques. Divergences occurring in the calculation are shown to be absorbable by renormalization of physical parameters of the model. The global energy may be obtained by integrating the local energy density only when the latter is supplemented by an energy term residing precisely on the surface of the cylinder. The latter is identified as the integrated local energy density of the cylindrical shell when the latter is physically expanded to have finite thickness. Inside and outside the δ-function shell, the local energy density diverges as the surface of the shell is approached; the divergence is weakest when the conformal stress tensor is used to define the energy density. A real global divergence first occurs in O(λ 3 ), as anticipated, but the proof is supplied here for the first time; this divergence is entirely associated with the surface energy and does not reflect divergences in the local energy density as the surface is approached

The supersymmetric Casimir effect and quantum creation of the universe with nontrivial topology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goncharov, Yu.P.; Bytsenko, A.A.

1985-01-01

We estimate the probability of quantum creation of the universe, having the spatial topology (S 1 ) 3 , and filled with the fields of minimal N=1 supergravity, in the semiclassical approximation. After creation, inflation of the universe occurs due to the topological Casimir effect. Creation of the universe with an isotropic topology is found to be the most preferable. (orig.)

Attractive Casimir effect in an infrared modified gluon bag model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oxman, L.E.; Amaral, R.L.P.G.; Svaiter, N.F.

2005-01-01

In this work, we are motivated by previous attempts to derive the vacuum contribution to the bag energy in terms of familiar Casimir energy calculations for spherical geometries. A simple infrared modified model is introduced which allows studying the effects of the analytic structure as well as the geometry in a clear manner. In this context, we show that if a class of infrared vanishing effective gluon propagators is considered, then the renormalized vacuum energy for a spherical bag is attractive, as required by the bag model to adjust hadron spectroscopy

The prince as a Jesuit, the king as an abbot. The “monastic” theme in the iconography of John II Casimir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Skrodzka

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The young Casimir Vasa was brought up at the court of his father, Sigismund III Vasa, in the atmosphere of great devotion, which made him enter the order of Jesuits. Even though he decided to leave the monastery and to take the Polish crown, he came back to the life of a monk after his abdication. The present paper presents the very few pieces of art commemorating the monastic life of John Casimir: an emblem, a medal, some prints and his tomb in Paris. All those objects demonstrate the deep piety of the king.

Charge-Induced Fluctuation Forces in Graphitic Nanostructures

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D. Drosdoff

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Charge fluctuations in nanocircuits with capacitor components are shown to give rise to a novel type of long-ranged interaction, which coexist with the regular Casimir–van der Waals force. The developed theory distinguishes between thermal and quantum mechanical effects, and it is applied to capacitors involving graphene nanostructures. The charge fluctuations mechanism is captured via the capacitance of the system with geometrical and quantum mechanical components. The dependence on the distance separation, temperature, size, and response properties of the system shows that this type of force can have a comparable and even dominant effect to the Casimir interaction. Our results strongly indicate that fluctuation-induced interactions due to various thermodynamic quantities can have important thermal and quantum mechanical contributions at the microscale and the nanoscale.

Number of particle creation and decoherence in the nonideal dynamical Casimir effect at finite temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celeri, L.C.; Pascoal, F.; Ponte, M.A. de; Moussa, M.H.Y.

2009-01-01

In this work we investigate the dynamical Casimir effect in a nonideal cavity by deriving an effective Hamiltonian. We first compute a general expression for the average number of particle creation, applicable for any law of motion of the cavity boundary, under the only restriction of small velocities. We also compute a general expression for the linear entropy of an arbitrary state prepared in a selected mode, also applicable for any law of motion of a slow moving boundary. As an application of our results we have analyzed both the average number of particle creation and linear entropy within a particular oscillatory motion of the cavity boundary. On the basis of these expressions we develop a comprehensive analysis of the resonances in the number of particle creation in the nonideal dynamical Casimir effect. We also demonstrate the occurrence of resonances in the loss of purity of the initial state and estimate the decoherence times associated with these resonances. Since our results were obtained in the framework of the perturbation theory, they are restricted, under resonant conditions, to a short-time approximation.

Casimir Energies for Isorefractive or Diaphanous Balls

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Kimball A. Milton

2018-03-01

Full Text Available It is known that the Casimir self-energy of a homogeneous dielectric ball is divergent, although a finite self-energy can be extracted through second order in the deviation of the permittivity from the vacuum value. The exception occurs when the speed of light inside the spherical boundary is the same as that outside, so the self-energy of a perfectly conducting spherical shell is finite, as is the energy of a dielectric-diamagnetic sphere with ε μ = 1 , a so-called isorefractive or diaphanous ball. Here we re-examine that example and attempt to extend it to an electromagnetic δ -function sphere, where the electric and magnetic couplings are equal and opposite. Unfortunately, although the energy expression is superficially ultraviolet finite, additional divergences appear that render it difficult to extract a meaningful result in general, but some limited results are presented.

Casimir Effect and Black Hole Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Rahbardehghan, S.

2018-03-01

The gravitational field of a black hole intrinsically creates a potential barrier consisted of two reflecting boundaries; the first one far from the hole and the second one in the vicinity of its horizon. With respect to this fact and assuming the boundaries as good conductors (in view of an observer near the horizon just outside the second boundary), in a series of papers, R.M. Nugayev by considering a conformally coupled massless scalar field and based on the calculations of Candelas and Deutsch (the accelerated-mirror results) has claimed that " ...the existence of the potential barrier is as crucial for Hawking evaporation as the existence of the horizon". In this paper, by taking the same assumptions, through straightforward reasonings, we explicitly show that contrary to this claim, the effects of the first boundary on the black hole radiation are quite negligible. Moreover, the inclusion of the second boundary makes the situation more complicated, because the induced Casimir energy-momentum tensor by this boundary in its vicinity is divergent of order δ ^{-4} ( δ is the distance to the boundary).

Bogoliubov transformation for quantum fields in (S1)d x RD-d topology and applications to the Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khanna, F C; Malbouisson, J M C; Santana, A E

2009-01-01

A Bogoliubov transformation accounting simultaneously for spatial compactifica-tion and thermal effects is introduced. The fields are described in a Γ D d = S 1 1 x ... x S 1 d x R D-d topology, and the Bogoliubov transformation is derived by a generalization of the thermofield dynamics formalism, a real-time finite-temperature quantum field theory. We consider the Casimir effect for Maxwell and Dirac fields and for a non-interacting massless QCD at finite temperature. For the fermion sector in a cubic box, we analyze the temperature at which the Casimir pressure changes its sign from attractive to repulsive. This critical temperature is approximately 200 MeV when the edge of the cube is of the order of the confining lengths (∼ 1 : fm) for quarks in baryons.

Casimir Energy of the Nambu-Goto String with Gauss-Bonnet Term and Point-Like Masses at the Ends

Science.gov (United States)

Hadasz, Leszek

1999-09-01

We calculate the Casimir energy of the rotating Nambu-Goto string with the Gauss-Bonnet term in the action and point-like masses at the ends. This energy turns out to be negative for every values of the parameters of the model.

Casimir Energy of the Nambu-Goto String with Gauss-Bonnet Term and Point-Like Masses at the Ends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadasz, L.

1999-01-01

We calculate the Casimir energy of the rotating Nambu-Goto string with the Gauss-Bonnet term in the action and point-like masses at the ends. This energy turns out to be negative for every values of the parameters of the model. (author)

Zeta-function approach to Casimir energy with singular potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khusnutdinov, Nail R.

2006-01-01

In the framework of zeta-function approach the Casimir energy for three simple model system: single delta potential, step function potential and three delta potentials are analyzed. It is shown that the energy contains contributions which are peculiar to the potentials. It is suggested to renormalize the energy using the condition that the energy of infinitely separated potentials is zero which corresponds to subtraction all terms of asymptotic expansion of zeta-function. The energy obtained in this way obeys all physically reasonable conditions. It is finite in the Dirichlet limit, and it may be attractive or repulsive depending on the strength of potential. The effective action is calculated, and it is shown that the surface contribution appears. The renormalization of the effective action is discussed

Casimir effect in spherical shells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruggiero, J.R.

1985-01-01

The analytic regularization method is applied to study the Casimir effect for spherical cavities. Although many works have been presented in the past few years, problems related to the elimination of the regulator parameter still remain. A way to calculate the zero point energy of a perfectly conducting spherical shell which is a miscellaneous of those presented early is here proposed, How a cancelation of divergent terms occurs and how a finite parte is obtained after the elimination of the regulator parameter is shown. As a by-product the zero point energy of the interior vibration modes is obtained and this has some relevance to the quarks bag model. This relev ance is also discussed. The calculation of the energy fom the density view is also discussed. Some works in this field are criticized. The logarithmic divergent terms in the zero point energy are studied when the interior and exterior of the sphere are considered as a medium not dispersive and characterized by a dielectric constants ε 1 and ε 2 and peermeability constants μ 1 and μ 2 respectivelly. The logarithmic divergent terms are not present in the case of ε i μ i =K, with K some constant and i=1,2. (author) [pt

The analytic regularization ζ function method and the cut-off method in Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svaiter, N.F.; Svaiter, B.F.

1990-01-01

The zero point energy associated to a hermitian massless scalar field in the presence of perfectly reflecting plates in a three dimensional flat space-time is discussed. A new technique to unify two different methods - the ζ function and a variant of the cut-off method - used to obtain the so called Casimir energy is presented, and the proof of the analytic equivalence between both methods is given. (author)

A verification of quantum field theory – measurement of Casimir force

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

journal of. Feb. & Mar. 2001 physics pp. 239–243. A verification of quantum field theory ... minum coated a sphere and flat plate using an atomic force microscope. ... where R is the radius of curvature of the spherical surface. The finite .... sured by AFM) of 60% Au/40% Pd, to form a nonreactive and conductive top layer. For.

Lifshitz-Matsubara sum formula for the Casimir pressure between magnetic metallic mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Guérout, R.; Lambrecht, A.; Milton, K. A.; Reynaud, S.

2016-02-01

We examine the conditions of validity for the Lifshitz-Matsubara sum formula for the Casimir pressure between magnetic metallic plane mirrors. As in the previously studied case of nonmagnetic materials [Guérout et al., Phys. Rev. E 90, 042125 (2014), 10.1103/PhysRevE.90.042125], we recover the usual expression for the lossy model of optical response, but not for the lossless plasma model. We also show that the modes associated with the Foucault currents play a crucial role in the limit of vanishing losses, in contrast to expectations.

Casimir energy of the Nambu-Goto string with Gauss-Bonnet term and point-like masses at the ends

OpenAIRE

Hadasz, Leszek

1999-01-01

We calculate (using zeta function regularization) the Casimir energy of the rotating Nambu-Goto string with the Gauss-Bonnet term in the action and point-like masses at the ends. The resulting value turns out to be negative for all values of the parameters of the model.

Ultrasensitive Inertial and Force Sensors with Diamagnetically Levitated Magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Prat-Camps, J.; Teo, C.; Rusconi, C. C.; Wieczorek, W.; Romero-Isart, O.

2017-09-01

We theoretically show that a magnet can be stably levitated on top of a punctured superconductor sheet in the Meissner state without applying any external field. The trapping potential created by such induced-only superconducting currents is characterized for magnetic spheres ranging from tens of nanometers to tens of millimeters. Such a diamagnetically levitated magnet is predicted to be extremely well isolated from the environment. We propose to use it as an ultrasensitive force and inertial sensor. A magnetomechanical readout of its displacement can be performed by using superconducting quantum interference devices. An analysis using current technology shows that force and acceleration sensitivities on the order of 10-23 N /√{Hz } (for a 100-nm magnet) and 10-14 g /√{Hz } (for a 10-mm magnet) might be within reach in a cryogenic environment. Such remarkable sensitivities, both in force and acceleration, can be used for a variety of purposes, from designing ultrasensitive inertial sensors for technological applications (e.g., gravimetry, avionics, and space industry), to scientific investigations on measuring Casimir forces of magnetic origin and gravitational physics.

Nonequilibrium forces between neutral atoms mediated by a quantum field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behunin, Ryan O.; Hu, Bei-Lok

2010-01-01

We study forces between two neutral atoms, modeled as three-dimensional harmonic oscillators, arising from mutual influences mediated by an electromagnetic field but not from their direct interactions. We allow as dynamical variables the center-of-mass motion of the atom, its internal degrees of freedom, and the quantum field treated relativistically. We adopt the method of nonequilibrium quantum field theory which can provide a first-principles, systematic, and unified description including the intrinsic and induced dipole fluctuations. The inclusion of self-consistent back-actions makes possible a fully dynamical description of these forces valid for general atom motion. In thermal equilibrium we recover the known forces--London, van der Waals, and Casimir-Polder--between neutral atoms in the long-time limit. We also reproduce a recently reported force between atoms when the system is out of thermal equilibrium at late times. More noteworthy is the discovery of the existence of a type of (or identification of the source of some known) interatomic force which we call the ''entanglement force,'' originating from the quantum correlations of the internal degrees of freedom of entangled atoms.

Zeta Function Regularization in Casimir Effect Calculations and J. S. Dowker's Contribution

Science.gov (United States)

Elizalde, Emilio

2012-07-01

A summary of relevant contributions, ordered in time, to the subject of operator zeta functions and their application to physical issues is provided. The description ends with the seminal contributions of Stephen Hawking and Stuart Dowker and collaborators, considered by many authors as the actual starting point of the introduction of zeta function regularization methods in theoretical physics, in particular, for quantum vacuum fluctuation and Casimir effect calculations. After recalling a number of the strengths of this powerful and elegant method, some of its limitations are discussed. Finally, recent results of the so called operator regularization procedure are presented.

Irreversible dynamics, Onsager-Casimir symmetry, and an application to turbulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Ottinger, Hans Christian

2014-10-01

Irreversible contributions to the dynamics of nonequilibrium systems can be formulated in terms of dissipative, or irreversible, brackets. We discuss the structure of such irreversible brackets in view of a degeneracy implied by energy conservation, where we consider different types of symmetries of the bracket corresponding to the Onsager and Casimir symmetries of linear irreversible thermodynamics. Slip and turbulence provide important examples of antisymmetric irreversible brackets and offer guidance for the more general modeling of irreversible dynamics without entropy production. Conversely, turbulence modeling could benefit from elucidating thermodynamic structure. The examples suggest constructing antisymmetric irreversible brackets in terms of completely antisymmetric functions of three indices. Irreversible brackets without well-defined symmetry properties can arise for rare events, causing big configurational changes.

Geometric Approach to Quantum Statistical Mechanics and Application to Casimir Energy and Friction Properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichinose, Shoichi

2010-01-01

A geometric approach to general quantum statistical systems (including the harmonic oscillator) is presented. It is applied to Casimir energy and the dissipative system with friction. We regard the (N+1)-dimensional Euclidean coordinate system (X i ,τ) as the quantum statistical system of N quantum (statistical) variables (X τ ) and one Euclidean time variable (t). Introducing paths (lines or hypersurfaces) in this space (X τ ,t), we adopt the path-integral method to quantize the mechanical system. This is a new view of (statistical) quantization of the mechanical system. The system Hamiltonian appears as the area. We show quantization is realized by the minimal area principle in the present geometric approach. When we take a line as the path, the path-integral expressions of the free energy are shown to be the ordinary ones (such as N harmonic oscillators) or their simple variation. When we take a hyper-surface as the path, the system Hamiltonian is given by the area of the hyper-surface which is defined as a closed-string configuration in the bulk space. In this case, the system becomes a O(N) non-linear model. We show the recently-proposed 5 dimensional Casimir energy (ArXiv:0801.3064,0812.1263) is valid. We apply this approach to the visco-elastic system, and present a new method using the path-integral for the calculation of the dissipative properties.

Particle creation by a black hole as a consequence of the Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nugayev, R.M.

1987-01-01

Particle creation by a blackhole is investigated in terms of temperature corrections to the Casimir effect. The reduction of the Hawking effect to more familiar effects observed in the laboratory enables us to reveal the mechanism of particle creation. The blackbody nature of the Hawking radiation is due to the interaction of virtual particles with the surface of a ''cavity'' formed by the Schwarzschild gravitational field potential barrier. These particles are ''squeezed out'' by the contraction of the potential barrier and appear to an observer at J + as the real blackbody ones. (orig.)

Derivation of the Lifshitz-Matsubara sum formula for the Casimir pressure between metallic plane mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Guérout, R.; Lambrecht, A.; Milton, K. A.; Reynaud, S.

2014-10-01

We carefully reexamine the conditions of validity for the consistent derivation of the Lifshitz-Matsubara sum formula for the Casimir pressure between metallic plane mirrors. We recover the usual expression for the lossy Drude model but not for the lossless plasma model. We give an interpretation of this new result in terms of the modes associated with the Foucault currents, which play a role in the limit of vanishing losses, in contrast to common expectations.

Boundaries immersed in a scalar quantum field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Actor, A.A.; Bender, I.

1996-01-01

We study the interaction between a scalar quantum field φ(x), and many different boundary configurations constructed from (parallel and orthogonal) thin planar surfaces on which φ(x) is constrained to vanish, or to satisfy Neumann conditions. For most of these boundaries the Casimir problem has not previously been investigated. We calculate the canonical and improved vacuum stress tensors left angle T μv (x) right angle and left angle direct difference μv (x) right angle of φ(x) for each example. From these we obtain the local Casimir forces on all boundary planes. For massless fields, both vacuum stress tensors yield identical attractive local Casimir forces in all Dirichlet examples considered. This desirable outcome is not a priori obvious, given the quite different features of left angle T μv (x) right angle and left angle direct difference μv (x) right angle. For Neumann conditions, left angle T μv (x) right angle and left angle direct difference μv (x) right angle lead to attractive Casimir stresses which are not always the same. We also consider Dirichlet and Neumann boundaries immersed in a common scalar quantum field, and find that these repel. The extensive catalogue of worked examples presented here belongs to a large class of completely solvable Casimir problems. Casimir forces previously unknown are predicted, among them ones which might be measurable. (orig.)

A Scheme for Solving the Plane–Plane Challenge in Force Measurements at the Nanoscale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Comin Fabio

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Non-contact interaction between two parallel flat surfaces is a central paradigm in sciences. This situation is the starting point for a wealth of different models: the capacitor description in electrostatics, hydrodynamic flow, thermal exchange, the Casimir force, direct contact study, third body confinement such as liquids or films of soft condensed matter. The control of parallelism is so demanding that no versatile single force machine in this geometry has been proposed so far. Using a combination of nanopositioning based on inertial motors, of microcrystal shaping with a focused-ion beam (FIB and of accurate in situ and real-time control of surface parallelism with X-ray diffraction, we propose here a “gedanken” surface-force machine that should enable one to measure interactions between movable surfaces separated by gaps in the micrometer and nanometer ranges.

No quantum friction between uniformly moving plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philbin, T G; Leonhardt, U

2009-01-01

The Casimir forces between two plates moving parallel to each other at arbitrary constant speed are found by calculating the vacuum electromagnetic stress tensor. The perpendicular force between the plates is modified by the motion but there is no lateral force on the plates. Electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations do not therefore give rise to 'quantum friction' in this case, contrary to previous assertions. The result shows that the Casimir-Polder force on a particle moving at constant speed parallel to a plate also has no lateral component.

A Toy Cosmology Using a Hubble-Scale Casimir Effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E. McCulloch

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The visible mass of the observable universe agrees with that needed for a flat cosmos, and the reason for this is not known. It is shown that this can be explained by modelling the Hubble volume as a black hole that emits Hawking radiation inwards, disallowing wavelengths that do not fit exactly into the Hubble diameter, since partial waves would allow an inference of what lies outside the horizon. This model of “horizon wave censorship” is equivalent to a Hubble-scale Casimir effect. This incomplete toy model is presented to stimulate discussion. It predicts a minimum mass and acceleration for the observable universe which are in agreement with the observed mass and acceleration, and predicts that the observable universe gains mass as it expands and was hotter in the past. It also predicts a suppression of variation on the largest cosmic scales that agrees with the low-l cosmic microwave background anomaly seen by the Planck satellite.

Nonequilibrium forces following quenches in active and thermal matter

Science.gov (United States)

Rohwer, Christian M.; Solon, Alexandre; Kardar, Mehran; Krüger, Matthias

2018-03-01

Nonequilibrium systems with conserved quantities like density or momentum are known to exhibit long-ranged correlations. This, in turn, leads to long-ranged fluctuation-induced (Casimir) forces, predicted to arise in a variety of nonequilibrium settings. Here, we study such forces, which arise transiently between parallel plates or compact inclusions in a gas of particles, following a change ("quench") in temperature or activity of the medium. Analytical calculations, as well as numerical simulations of passive or active Brownian particles, indicate two distinct forces: (i) The immediate effect of the quench is adsorption or desorption of particles of the medium to the immersed objects, which in turn initiates a front of relaxing (mean) density. This leads to time-dependent density-induced forces. (ii) A long-term effect of the quench is that density fluctuations are modified, manifested as transient (long-ranged) (pair-)correlations that relax diffusively to their (short-ranged) steady-state limit. As a result, transient fluctuation-induced forces emerge. We discuss the properties of fluctuation-induced and density-induced forces as regards universality, relaxation as a function of time, and scaling with distance between objects. Their distinct signatures allow us to distinguish the two types of forces in simulation data. Our simulations also show that a quench of the effective temperature of an active medium gives rise to qualitatively similar effects to a temperature quench in a passive medium. Based on this insight, we propose several scenarios for the experimental observation of the forces described here.

The generalized Abel-Plana formula with applications to Bessel functions and casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saharian, Aram A.

2007-08-01

One of the most efficient methods for the evaluation of the vacuum expectation values for physical observables in the Casimir effect is based on using the Abel-Plana summation formula. This enables to derive the renormalized quantities in a manifestly cutoff independent way and to present them in the form of strongly convergent integrals. However, applications of the Abel- Plana formula, in its usual form, are restricted by simple geometries when the eigenmodes have a simple dependence on quantum numbers. The author generalized the Abel-Plana formula which essentially enlarges its application range. Based on this generalization, formulae have been obtained for various types of series over the zeros of combinations of Bessel functions and for integrals involving these functions. It has been shown that these results generalize the special cases existing in literature. Further, the derived summation formulae have been used to summarize series arising in the direct mode summation approach to the Casimir effect for spherically and cylindrically symmetric boundaries, for boundaries moving with uniform proper acceleration, and in various braneworld scenarios. This allows to extract from the vacuum expectation values of local physical observables the parts corresponding to the geometry without boundaries and to present the boundary-induced parts in terms of integrals strongly convergent for the points away from the boundaries. As a result, the renormalization procedure for these observables is reduced to the corresponding procedure for bulks without boundaries. The present paper reviews these results. We also aim to collect the results on vacuum expectation values for local physical observables such as the field square and the energy-momentum tensor in manifolds with boundaries for various bulk and boundary geometries. (author)

Anomalous van der Waals-Casimir interactions on graphene: A concerted effect of temperature, retardation, and non-locality

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrosetti, Alberto; Silvestrelli, Pier Luigi

2018-04-01

Dispersion forces play a major role in graphene, largely influencing adhesion of adsorbate moieties and stabilization of functional multilayered structures. However, the reliable prediction of dispersion interactions on graphene up to the relevant ˜10 nm scale is an extremely challenging task: in fact, electromagnetic retardation effects and the highly non-local character of π electrons can imply sizeable qualitative variations of the interaction with respect to known pairwise approaches. Here we address both issues, determining the finite-temperature van der Waals (vdW)-Casimir interaction for point-like and extended adsorbates on graphene, explicitly accounting for the non-local dielectric permittivity. We find that temperature, retardation, and non-locality play a crucial role in determining the actual vdW scaling laws and the stability of both atomic and larger molecular adsorbates. Our results highlight the importance of these effects for a proper description of systems of current high interest, such as graphene interacting with biomolecules, and self-assembly of complex nanoscale structures. Due to the generality of our approach and the observed non-locality of other 2D materials, our results suggest non-trivial vdW interactions from hexagonal mono-layered materials from group 14 of the periodic table, to transition metal dichalcogenides.

No quantum friction between uniformly moving plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Philbin, T G; Leonhardt, U [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, Scotland (United Kingdom)], E-mail: tgp3@st-andrews.ac.uk

2009-03-15

The Casimir forces between two plates moving parallel to each other at arbitrary constant speed are found by calculating the vacuum electromagnetic stress tensor. The perpendicular force between the plates is modified by the motion but there is no lateral force on the plates. Electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations do not therefore give rise to 'quantum friction' in this case, contrary to previous assertions. The result shows that the Casimir-Polder force on a particle moving at constant speed parallel to a plate also has no lateral component.

Casimir effect at finite temperature for pure-photon sector of the minimal Standard Model Extension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, A.F., E-mail: alesandroferreira@fisica.ufmt.br [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, 78060-900, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso (Brazil); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road Victoria, BC (Canada); Khanna, Faqir C., E-mail: khannaf@uvic.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road Victoria, BC (Canada)

2016-12-15

Dynamics between particles is governed by Lorentz and CPT symmetry. There is a violation of Parity (P) and CP symmetry at low levels. The unified theory, that includes particle physics and quantum gravity, may be expected to be covariant with Lorentz and CPT symmetry. At high enough energies, will the unified theory display violation of any symmetry? The Standard Model Extension (SME), with Lorentz and CPT violating terms, has been suggested to include particle dynamics. The minimal SME in the pure photon sector is considered in order to calculate the Casimir effect at finite temperature.

Ultrathin Metallic Coatings Can Induce Quantum Levitation between Nanosurfaces

OpenAIRE

Boström, Mathias; Ninham, Barry W.; Brevik, Iver; Persson, Clas; Parsons, Drew F.; Sernelius, Bo E.

2012-01-01

There is an attractive Casimir-Lifshitz force between two silica surfaces in a liquid (bromobenze or toluene). We demonstrate that adding an ultrathin (5-50 angstrom) metallic nanocoating to one of the surfaces results in repulsive Casimir-Lifshitz forces above a critical separation. The onset of such quantum levitation comes at decreasing separations as the film thickness decreases. Remarkably, the effect of retardation can turn attraction into repulsion. From that we explain how an ultrathi...

Casimir effect in rugby-ball type flux compactifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elizalde, Emilio; Minamitsuji, Masato; Naylor, Wade

2007-01-01

As a continuation of the work by Minamitsuji, Naylor, and Sasaki [J. High Energy Phys. 12 (2006) 079], we discuss the Casimir effect for a massless bulk scalar field in a 4D toy model of a 6D warped flux compactification model, to stabilize the volume modulus. The one-loop effective potential for the volume modulus has a form similar to the Coleman-Weinberg potential. The stability of the volume modulus against quantum corrections is related to an appropriate heat kernel coefficient. However, to make any physical predictions after volume stabilization, knowledge of the derivative of the zeta function, ζ ' (0) (in a conformally related spacetime) is also required. By adding up the exact mass spectrum using zeta-function regularization, we present a revised analysis of the effective potential. Finally, we discuss some physical implications, especially concerning the degree of the hierarchy between the fundamental energy scales on the branes. For a larger degree of warping our new results are very similar to the ones given by Minamitsuji, Naylor, and Sasaki [J. High Energy Phys. 12 (2006) 079] and imply a larger hierarchy. In the nonwarped (rugby ball) limit the ratio tends to converge to the same value, independently of the bulk dilaton coupling

Topological Casimir effect in compactified cosmic string spacetime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Mello, E R Bezerra; Saharian, A A

2012-01-01

We investigate the Wightman function, the vacuum expectation values of the field squared and the energy-momentum tensor for a massive scalar field with general curvature coupling in the generalized cosmic string geometry with a compact dimension along its axis. The boundary condition along the compactified dimension is taken in general form with an arbitrary phase. The vacuum expectation values are decomposed into two parts. The first one corresponds to the uncompactified cosmic string geometry and the second one is the correction induced by the compactification. The asymptotic behavior of the vacuum expectation values of the field squared, energy density and stresses is investigated near the string and at large distances. We show that the nontrivial topology due to the cosmic string enhances the vacuum polarization effects induced by the compactness of spatial dimension for both the field squared and the vacuum energy density. A simple formula is given for the part of the integrated topological Casimir energy induced by the planar angle deficit. The results are generalized for a charged scalar field in the presence of a constant gauge field. In this case, the vacuum expectation values are periodic functions of the component of the vector potential along the compact dimension. (paper)

Local effects of the quantum vacuum in Lorentz-violating electrodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Ruiz, A.; Escobar, C. A.

2017-02-01

The Casimir effect is one of the most remarkable consequences of the nonzero vacuum energy predicted by quantum field theory. In this paper we use a local approach to study the Lorentz violation effects of the minimal standard model extension on the Casimir force between two parallel conducting plates in the vacuum. Using a perturbative method similar to that used for obtaining the Born series for the scattering amplitudes in quantum mechanics, we compute, at leading order in the Lorentz-violating coefficients, the relevant Green's function which satisfies given boundary conditions. The standard point-splitting technique allow us to express the vacuum expectation value of the stress-energy tensor in terms of the Green's function. We discuss its structure in the region between the plates. We compute the renormalized vacuum stress, which is obtained as the difference between the vacuum stress in the presence of the plates and that of the vacuum. The Casimir force is evaluated in an analytical fashion by two methods: by differentiating the renormalized global energy density and by computing the normal-normal component of the renormalized vacuum stress. We compute the local Casimir energy, which is found to diverge as approaching the plates, and we demonstrate that it does not contribute to the observable force.

The combinatorics computation for Casimir operators of the symplectic Lie algebra and the application for determining the center of the enveloping algebra of a semidirect product

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Van Hop.

1989-12-01

The combinatorics computation is used to describe the Casimir operators of the symplectic Lie Algebra. This result is applied for determining the Center of the enveloping Algebra of the semidirect Product of the Heisenberg Lie Algebra and the symplectic Lie Algebra. (author). 10 refs

Energy-momentum tensor for a Casimir apparatus in a weak gravitational field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bimonte, Giuseppe; Calloni, Enrico; Esposito, Giampiero; Rosa, Luigi

2006-01-01

The influence of the gravity acceleration on the regularized energy-momentum tensor of the quantized electromagnetic field between two plane-parallel conducting plates is derived. We use Fermi coordinates and work to first order in the constant acceleration parameter. A perturbative expansion, to this order, of the Green functions involved and of the energy-momentum tensor is derived by means of the covariant geodesic point-splitting procedure. In correspondence to the Green functions satisfying mixed and gauge-invariant boundary conditions, and Ward identities, the energy-momentum tensor is covariantly conserved and satisfies the expected relation between gauge-breaking and ghost parts, while a new simple formula for the trace anomaly is obtained to first order in the constant acceleration. A more systematic derivation is therefore obtained of the theoretical prediction according to which the Casimir device in a weak gravitational field will experience a tiny push in the upwards direction

Direct measurements of surface scattering in Si nanosheets using a microscale phonon spectrometer: implications for Casimir-limit predicted by Ziman theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertzberg, Jared B; Aksit, Mahmut; Otelaja, Obafemi O; Stewart, Derek A; Robinson, Richard D

2014-02-12

Thermal transport in nanostructures is strongly affected by phonon-surface interactions, which are expected to depend on the phonon's wavelength and the surface roughness. Here we fabricate silicon nanosheets, measure their surface roughness (∼ 1 nm) using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and assess the phonon scattering rate in the sheets with a novel technique: a microscale phonon spectrometer. The spectrometer employs superconducting tunnel junctions (STJs) to produce and detect controllable nonthermal distributions of phonons from ∼ 90 to ∼ 870 GHz. This technique offers spectral resolution nearly 10 times better than a thermal conductance measurement. We compare measured phonon transmission rates to rates predicted by a Monte Carlo model of phonon trajectories, assuming that these trajectories are dominated by phonon-surface interactions and using the Ziman theory to predict phonon-surface scattering rates based on surface topology. Whereas theory predicts a diffuse surface scattering probability of less than 40%, our measurements are consistent with a 100% probability. Our nanosheets therefore exhibit the so-called "Casimir limit" at a much lower frequency than expected if the phonon scattering rates follow the Ziman theory for a 1 nm surface roughness. Such a result holds implications for thermal management in nanoscale electronics and the design of nanostructured thermoelectrics.

Critical Casimir forces and anomalous wetting

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

(3) With Dirichlet boundary conditions, the critical temperature in the film is sig- ... studies: new experiments should identify the origin of the L-dependence, and ... and complete wetting should occur as T approaches Tt. The above argument is ...

Lifshitz-type formulas for graphene and single-wall carbon nanotubes: van der Waals and Casimir interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bordag, M.; Geyer, B.; Klimchitskaya, G. L.; Mostepanenko, V. M.

2006-01-01

Lifshitz-type formulas are obtained for the van der Waals and Casimir interaction between graphene and a material plate, graphene and an atom or a molecule, and between a single-wall carbon nanotube and a plate. The reflection properties of electromagnetic oscillations on graphene are governed by the specific boundary conditions imposed on the infinitely thin positively charged plasma sheet, carrying a continuous fluid with some mass and charge density. The obtained formulas are applied to graphene interacting with Au and Si plates, to hydrogen atoms and molecules interacting with graphene, and to single-wall carbon nanotubes interacting with Au and Si plates. The generalizations to more complicated carbon nanostructures are discussed

Casimir effect of two conducting parallel plates in a general weak gravitational field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nazari, Borzoo [University of Tehran, Faculty of Engineering Science, College of Engineering, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-10-15

We calculate the finite vacuum energy density of the scalar and electromagnetic fields inside a Casimir apparatus made up of two conducting parallel plates in a general weak gravitational field. The metric of the weak gravitational field has a small deviation from flat spacetime inside the apparatus, and we find it by expanding the metric in terms of small parameters of the weak background. We show that the metric found can be transformed via a gauge transformation to the Fermi metric. We solve the Klein-Gordon equation exactly and find mode frequencies in Fermi spacetime. Using the fact that the electromagnetic field can be represented by two scalar fields in the Fermi spacetime, we find general formulas for the energy density and mode frequencies of the electromagnetic field. Some well-known weak backgrounds are examined and consistency of the results with the literature is shown. (orig.)

Local and nonlocal advected invariants and helicities in magnetohydrodynamics and gas dynamics: II. Noether's theorems and Casimirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webb, G M; Dasgupta, B; McKenzie, J F; Hu, Q; Zank, G P

2014-01-01

Conservation laws in ideal gas dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) associated with fluid relabeling symmetries are derived using Noether's first and second theorems. Lie dragged invariants are discussed in terms of the MHD Casimirs. A nonlocal conservation law for fluid helicity applicable for a non-barotropic fluid involving Clebsch variables is derived using Noether's theorem, in conjunction with a fluid relabeling symmetry and a gauge transformation. A nonlocal cross helicity conservation law involving Clebsch potentials, and the MHD energy conservation law are derived by the same method. An Euler–Poincaré variational approach is also used to derive conservation laws associated with fluid relabeling symmetries using Noether's second theorem. (paper)

Additional signature of the dynamical Casimir effect in a superconducting circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rego, Andreson L.C.; Farina, C.; Silva, Hector O.; Alves, Danilo T.

2013-01-01

Full text: The dynamical Casimir effect (DCE) is one of the most fascinating quantum vacuum effects that consists, essentially, on the particle creation as a result of the interaction between a quantized field and a moving mirror. In this sense, particle creation due to external time-dependent potentials or backgrounds, or even time dependent electromagnetic properties of a material medium can also be included in a general definition of DCE. For simplicity, this interaction is simulated, in general, by means of idealized boundary conditions (BC). As a consequence of the particle creation, the moving mirror experiences a dissipative radiation reaction force acting on it. In order to generate an appreciable number of photons to be observed, the DCE was investigated in other contexts, as for example, in the circuit quantum electrodynamics. This theory predicted high photon creation rate by the modulation of the length of an open transmission line coupled to a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), an extremely sensitive magnetometer (J.R. Johansson et al, 2009/2010). A time dependent magnetic flux can be applied to the SQUID changing its inductance, leading to a time-dependent BC which simulates a moving boundary It was in the last scenario that the first observation of the DCE was announced by Wilson and collaborators (Wilson et al, 2011). Taking as motivation the experiment that observed the DCE, we investigate the influence of the generalized time-dependent Robin BC, that presents an extra term involving the second order time derivative of the field, in the particle creation via DCE. This kind of BC may appear quite naturally in the context of circuit quantum electrodynamics and the extra term was neglected in the theoretical aspects of the first observation of the DCE. Appropriate adjustments of this new parameter can not only enhance the total number of created particles but also give rise to a non-parabolic shape of the particle creation spectral

Obtainment of internal labelling operators as broken Casimir operators by means of contractions related to reduction chains in semisimple Lie algebras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campoamor-Stursberg, R

2008-01-01

We show that the Inoenue-Wigner contraction naturally associated to a reduction chain s implies s' of semisimple Lie algebras induces a decomposition of the Casimir operators into homogeneous polynomials, the terms of which can be used to obtain additional mutually commuting missing label operators for this reduction. The adjunction of these scalars that are no more invariants of the contraction allow to solve the missing label problem for those reductions where the contraction provides an insufficient number of labelling operators.

Casimir meets Poisson: improved quark/gluon discrimination with counting observables

Science.gov (United States)

Frye, Christopher; Larkoski, Andrew J.; Thaler, Jesse; Zhou, Kevin

2017-09-01

Charged track multiplicity is among the most powerful observables for discriminating quark- from gluon-initiated jets. Despite its utility, it is not infrared and collinear (IRC) safe, so perturbative calculations are limited to studying the energy evolution of multiplicity moments. While IRC-safe observables, like jet mass, are perturbatively calculable, their distributions often exhibit Casimir scaling, such that their quark/gluon discrimination power is limited by the ratio of quark to gluon color factors. In this paper, we introduce new IRC-safe counting observables whose discrimination performance exceeds that of jet mass and approaches that of track multiplicity. The key observation is that track multiplicity is approximately Poisson distributed, with more suppressed tails than the Sudakov peak structure from jet mass. By using an iterated version of the soft drop jet grooming algorithm, we can define a "soft drop multiplicity" which is Poisson distributed at leading-logarithmic accuracy. In addition, we calculate the next-to-leading-logarithmic corrections to this Poisson structure. If we allow the soft drop groomer to proceed to the end of the jet branching history, we can define a collinear-unsafe (but still infrared-safe) counting observable. Exploiting the universality of the collinear limit, we define generalized fragmentation functions to study the perturbative energy evolution of collinear-unsafe multiplicity.

Self-bridging of vertical silicon nanowires and a universal capacitive force model for spontaneous attraction in nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zhelin; Wang, Deli; Xiang, Jie

2014-11-25

Spontaneous attractions between free-standing nanostructures have often caused adhesion or stiction that affects a wide range of nanoscale devices, particularly nano/microelectromechanical systems. Previous understandings of the attraction mechanisms have included capillary force, van der Waals/Casimir forces, and surface polar charges. However, none of these mechanisms universally applies to simple semiconductor structures such as silicon nanowire arrays that often exhibit bunching or adhesions. Here we propose a simple capacitive force model to quantitatively study the universal spontaneous attraction that often causes stiction among semiconductor or metallic nanostructures such as vertical nanowire arrays with inevitably nonuniform size variations due to fabrication. When nanostructures are uniform in size, they share the same substrate potential. The presence of slight size differences will break the symmetry in the capacitive network formed between the nanowires, substrate, and their environment, giving rise to electrostatic attraction forces due to the relative potential difference between neighboring wires. Our model is experimentally verified using arrays of vertical silicon nanowire pairs with varied spacing, diameter, and size differences. Threshold nanowire spacing, diameter, or size difference between the nearest neighbors has been identified beyond which the nanowires start to exhibit spontaneous attraction that leads to bridging when electrostatic forces overcome elastic restoration forces. This work illustrates a universal understanding of spontaneous attraction that will impact the design, fabrication, and reliable operation of nanoscale devices and systems.

De vette jaren: de Commissie-Casimir en het Nederlandse wetenschapsbeleid 1957-1970

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Baneke

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The Years of Abundance: the Casimir Committee and Dutch Science Policy 1957–1970 In October 1958, a committee of six prominent Dutch scientists and industrial managers presented a brief report in which they requested a major increase of the science budget. This report has been described as a turning point in the history of science in the Netherlands, signaling the beginning of a decade of rapid growth of funding for ‘pure’ research. Surprisingly little is known about the backgrounds of this report, however. In this paper, I analyze its origin, its relation to contemporary higher education policy, and its consequences. As it turns out, the report was less revolutionary than is usually assumed: it mostly reinforced developments that had already begun earlier. Furthermore, Sputnik and the Cold War were not as important as is often claimed. This paper also suggests a reinterpretation of the justification of the government spending on academic research after the Second World War. Producing skilled researchers for industry was at least as important as produc- ing new knowledge.

Optical Near-field Interactions and Forces for Optoelectronic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kohoutek, John Michael

Throughout history, as a particle view of the universe began to take shape, scientists began to realize that these particles were attracted to each other and hence came up with theories, both analytical and empirical in nature, to explain their interaction. The interaction pair potential (empirical) and electromagnetics (analytical) theories, both help to explain not only the interaction between the basic constituents of matter, such as atoms and molecules, but also between macroscopic objects, such as two surfaces in close proximity. The electrostatic force, optical force, and Casimir force can be categorized as such forces. A surface plasmon (SP) is a collective motion of electrons generated by light at the interface between two mediums of opposite signs of dielectric susceptibility (e.g. metal and dielectric). Recently, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has been exploited in many areas through the use of tiny antennas that work on similar principles as radio frequency (RF) antennas in optoelectronic devices. These antennas can produce a very high gradient in the electric field thereby leading to an optical force, similar in concept to the surface forces discussed above. The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was introduced in the 1980s at IBM. Here we report on its uses in measuring these aforementioned forces and fields, as well as actively modulating and manipulating multiple optoelectronic devices. We have shown that it is possible to change the far field radiation pattern of an optical antenna-integrated device through modification of the near-field of the device. This modification is possible through change of the local refractive index or reflectivity of the "hot spot" of the device, either mechanically or optically. Finally, we have shown how a mechanically active device can be used to detect light with high gain and low noise at room temperature. It is the aim of several of these integrated and future devices to be used for applications in molecular sensing

Influence of random roughness on the adhesion between metal surfaces due to capillary condensation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Zwol, P. J.; Palasantzas, G.; De Hosson, J. Th. M.

2007-01-01

The capillary force was measured by atomic force microscopy between a gold coated sphere mounted on a cantilever and gold surfaces with different roughnesses. For smooth surfaces the capillary adhesive force surpasses in magnitude any dispersion, e.g., van der Waals/Casimir and/or electrostatic

Gap Dependent Bifurcation Behavior of a Nano-Beam Subjected to a Nonlinear Electrostatic Pressure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Fathalilou

Full Text Available This paper presents a study on the gap dependent bifurcation behavior of an electro statically-actuated nano-beam. The sizedependent behavior of the beam was taken into account by applying the couple stress theory. Two small and large gap distance regimes have been considered in which the intermolecular vdW and Casimir forces are dominant, respectively. It has been shown that changing the gap size can affect the fundamental frequency of the beam. The bifurcation diagrams for small gap distance revealed that by changing the gap size, the number and type of the fixed points can change. However, for large gap regime, where the Casimir force is the dominant intermolecular force, changing the gap size does not affect the quality of the bifurcation behavior.

Generalized Ford-Vilenkin approach for the dynamical Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rego, Andreson L.C.; Alves, Danilo Teixeira; Alves, Joao Paulo da Silva

2012-01-01

Full text: In the 70s decade the first works investigating the quantum problem of the radiation emitted by moving mirrors in vacuum were published by Moore, DeWitt, Fulling and Davies. This effect, usually named dynamical Casimir effect (DCE). The DCE is also related to several other problems like particle creation in cosmological models and radiation emitted by collapsing black holes, decoherence, entanglement the Unruh effect. The DCE has been subject to experimental investigations: few months ago, Wilson and collaborators have announced the first experimental observation of the DCE. The theory of the DCE has been investigated by many authors, among them Ford and Vilenkin [L.H. Ford and A. Vilenkin, Phys. Rev. D 25, 2569 (1982)] who developed a perturbative method, which can be applied to moving mirrors in small displacements δq(t) = εF (t) and with nonrelativistic velocities. The usual application of the Ford-Vilenkin approach to the calculation of the spectrum of the created particles, results in the spectral distribution proportional to ε 2 . In the present paper, we consider a real massless scalar field and a moving mirror in a two-dimensional spacetime, satisfying Dirichlet boundary condition at the instantaneous position of the mirror, for large displacements and relativistic velocities. We generalize the Ford-Vilenkin approach to the calculation of the spectral density of the created particles, obtaining formulas for the spectrum up to order ε n . (author)

What measurable zero point fluctuations can(not) tell us about dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doran, M.

2006-05-01

We show that laboratory experiments cannot measure the absolute value of dark energy. All known experiments rely on electromagnetic interactions. They are thus insensitive to particles and fields that interact only weakly with ordinary matter. In addition, Josephson junction experiments only measure differences in vacuum energy similar to Casimir force measurements. Gravity, however, couples to the absolute value. Finally we note that Casimir force measurements have tested zero point fluctuations up to energies of ∝ 10 eV, well above the dark energy scale of ∝ 0.01 eV. Hence, the proposed cut-off in the fluctuation spectrum is ruled out experimentally. (Orig.)

Study of atomic states in the vicinity of a massive surface - Application to the FORCA-G experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelisson, Sophie

2012-01-01

This thesis presents the theoretical modeling of the experiment FORCA-G (FORce de CAsimir et Gravitation a courte distance) currently in progress at Paris Observatory. The purpose of this experiment is to measure short-range interactions between an atom and a massive surface. This interaction are of two kind: quantum electrodynamical (Casimir-Polder effect) and gravitational. The work presented here was to calculate the atomic states in the context of the experiment such that we can predict results and performances of the experiment. This has allowed to optimize the experimental scheme both for the high-precision measurement of the Casimir-Polder effect and for the search of deviation from the Newton's law of gravity predicted by unification theories. (author)

Static forces in d=2+1 SU(N) gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, H.B.

2006-07-01

Using a three-level algorithm we perform a high-precision lattice computation of the static force up to 1fm in the 2+1 dimensional SU(5) gauge theory. Discretization errors and the continuum limit are discussed in detail. By comparison with existing SU(2) and SU(3) data it is found that σr 2 0 =1.65-(π)/(24) holds at an accuracy of 1% for all N≥2, where r 0 is the Sommer reference scale. The effective central charge c(r) is obtained and an intermediate distance r s is defined via the property c(r s )=(π)/(24). It separates in a natural way the short-distance regime governed by perturbation theory from the long-distance regime described by an effective string theory. The ratio τ s /τ 0 decreases significantly from SU(2) to SU(3) to SU(5), where r s 0 . We give a preliminary estimate of its value in the large-N limit. The static force in the smallest representation of N-ality 2, which tends to the k=2 string tension as r→∞, is also computed up to 0.7 fm. The deviation from Casimir scaling is positive and grows from 0.1% to 1% in that range. (Orig.)

Effective field theory of thermal Casimir interactions between anisotropic particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Haussman, Robert C; Deserno, Markus

2014-06-01

We employ an effective field theory (EFT) approach to study thermal Casimir interactions between objects bound to a fluctuating fluid surface or interface dominated by surface tension, with a focus on the effects of particle anisotropy. The EFT prescription disentangles the constraints imposed by the particles' boundaries from the calculation of the interaction free energy by constructing an equivalent point particle description. The finite-size information is captured in a derivative expansion that encodes the particles' response to external fields. The coefficients of the expansion terms correspond to generalized tensorial polarizabilities and are found by matching the results of a linear response boundary value problem computed in both the full and effective theories. We demonstrate the versatility of the EFT approach by constructing the general effective Hamiltonian for a collection of particles of arbitrary shapes. Taking advantage of the conformal symmetry of the Hamiltonian, we discuss a straightforward conformal mapping procedure to systematically determine the polarizabilities and derive a complete description for elliptical particles. We compute the pairwise interaction energies to several orders for nonidentical ellipses as well as their leading-order triplet interactions and discuss the resulting preferred pair and multibody configurations. Furthermore, we elaborate on the complications that arise with pinned particle boundary conditions and show that the powerlike corrections expected from dimensional analysis are exponentially suppressed by the leading-order interaction energies.

The square lattice Ising model on the rectangle II: finite-size scaling limit

Science.gov (United States)

Hucht, Alfred

2017-06-01

Based on the results published recently (Hucht 2017 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 50 065201), the universal finite-size contributions to the free energy of the square lattice Ising model on the L× M rectangle, with open boundary conditions in both directions, are calculated exactly in the finite-size scaling limit L, M\\to∞ , T\\to Tc , with fixed temperature scaling variable x\\propto(T/Tc-1)M and fixed aspect ratio ρ\\propto L/M . We derive exponentially fast converging series for the related Casimir potential and Casimir force scaling functions. At the critical point T=Tc we confirm predictions from conformal field theory (Cardy and Peschel 1988 Nucl. Phys. B 300 377, Kleban and Vassileva 1991 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 24 3407). The presence of corners and the related corner free energy has dramatic impact on the Casimir scaling functions and leads to a logarithmic divergence of the Casimir potential scaling function at criticality.

Quantum reflection times and space shifts for Casimir-van der Waals potential tails

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jurisch, Alexander; Friedrich, Harald

2004-01-01

When cold atoms approach a surface, they can be quantum reflected by quantal regions in the tail of the atom-surface potential. We study the phase of the reflection amplitude for Casimir-van der Waals potential tails, depending on the critical parameter ρ=ρ(C 3 ,C 4 ), which describes the relative importance of the -C 3 /r 3 and -C 4 /r 4 parts of the potential. The phase is related to observable kinematic quantities, the space and time shifts, the reflected atom experiences. We study three different models for the shape of the potential between the asymptotic limits and observe that the phases are more sensitive to the potential shape than the quantum reflection probabilities. At threshold, there are always time delays in comparison to the free movement. This is in contrast to the classical movement, which shows time gains. Further above threshold, the quantum reflected atom experiences a time gain relative to free motion, but this time gain is generally smaller than that of the classical particle

Radiation forces and the Abraham-Minkowski problem

Science.gov (United States)

Brevik, Iver

2018-04-01

Recent years have witnessed a number of beautiful experiments in radiation optics. Our purpose with this paper is to highlight some developments of radiation pressure physics in general, and thereafter to focus on the importance of the mentioned experiments in regard to the classic Abraham-Minkowski problem. That means, what is the “correct” expression for electromagnetic momentum density in continuous matter. In our opinion, one often sees that authors over-interpret the importance of their experimental findings with respect to the momentum problem. Most of these experiments are actually unable to discriminate between these energy-momentum tensors at all, since they can be easily described in terms of force expressions that are common for Abraham and Minkowski. Moreover, we emphasize the inherent ambiguity in applying the formal conservation principles to the radiation field in a dielectric, the reason being that the electromagnetic field in matter is only a subsystem which has to be supplemented by the mechanical subsystem to be closed. Finally, we make some suggestions regarding the connection between macroscopic electrodynamics and the Casimir effect, suggesting that there is a limit for the magnitudes of the cutoff parameters in QFT related to surface tension in ordinary hydromechanics.

Interaction of a charge with a thin plasma sheet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bordag, M.

2007-01-01

The interaction of the electromagnetic field with a two-dimensional plasma sheet intended to describe the pi-electrons of a carbon nanotube or a C 60 molecule is investigated. By first integrating out the displacement field of the plasma or the electromagnetic field, different representations for quantities like the Casimir energy are derived which are shown to be consistent with one another. Starting from the covariant gauge for the electromagnetic field, it is shown that the matching conditions to which the presence of the plasma sheet can be reduced are different from the commonly used ones. The difference in the treatments does not show up in the Casimir force between two parallel sheets, but it is present in the Casimir-Polder force between a charge or a neutral atom and a sheet. At once, since the plasma sheet is a regularization of the conductor boundary conditions, this sheds light on the difference in physics found earlier in the realization of conductor boundary conditions as 'thin' or 'thick' boundary conditions in Phys. Rev. D 70, 085010 (2004)

Casimir squared correction to the standard rotator Hamiltonian for the O( n) sigma-model in the delta-regime

Science.gov (United States)

Niedermayer, F.; Weisz, P.

2018-05-01

In a previous paper we found that the isospin susceptibility of the O( n) sigma-model calculated in the standard rotator approximation differs from the next-to-next-to leading order chiral perturbation theory result in terms vanishing like 1 /ℓ, for ℓ = L t /L → ∞ and further showed that this deviation could be described by a correction to the rotator spectrum proportional to the square of the quadratic Casimir invariant. Here we confront this expectation with analytic nonperturbative results on the spectrum in 2 dimensions, by Balog and Hegedüs for n = 3 , 4 and by Gromov, Kazakov and Vieira for n = 4, and find good agreement in both cases. We also consider the case of 3 dimensions.

The Casimir effect in rugby-ball type flux compactifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minamitsuji, M

2008-01-01

We discuss volume stabilization in a 6D braneworld model based on 6D supergravity theory. The internal space is compactified by magnetic flux and contains codimension two 3-branes (conical singularities) as its boundaries. In general the external 4D spacetime is warped and in the unwrapped limit the shape of the internal space looks like a 'rugby ball'. The size of the internal space is not fixed due to the scale invariance of the supergravity theory. We discuss the possibility of volume stabilization by the Casimir effect for a massless, minimally coupled bulk scalar field. The main obstacle in studying this case is that the brane (conical) part of the relevant heat kernel coefficient (a 6 ) has not been formulated. Thus as a first step, we consider the 4D analog model with boundary codimension two 1-branes. The spacetime structure of the 4D model is very similar to that of the original 6D model, where now the relevant heat kernel coefficient is well known. We derive the one-loop effective potential induced by a scalar field in the bulk by employing zeta function regularization with heat kernel analysis. As a result, the volume is stabilized for most possible choices of the parameters. Especially, for a larger degree of warping, our results imply that a large hierarchy between the mass scales and a tiny amount of effective cosmological constant can be realized on the brane. In the non-warped limit the ratio tends to converge to the same value, independently of the bulk gauge coupling constant. Finally, we will analyze volume stabilization in the original model 6D by employing the same mode-sum technique

The Casimir effect in rugby-ball type flux compactifications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minamitsuji, M [ASC, LMU, Theresienst. 37, 80333 Munich (Germany)], E-mail: Masato.Minamitsuji@physik.uni-muenchen.de

2008-04-25

We discuss volume stabilization in a 6D braneworld model based on 6D supergravity theory. The internal space is compactified by magnetic flux and contains codimension two 3-branes (conical singularities) as its boundaries. In general the external 4D spacetime is warped and in the unwrapped limit the shape of the internal space looks like a 'rugby ball'. The size of the internal space is not fixed due to the scale invariance of the supergravity theory. We discuss the possibility of volume stabilization by the Casimir effect for a massless, minimally coupled bulk scalar field. The main obstacle in studying this case is that the brane (conical) part of the relevant heat kernel coefficient (a{sub 6}) has not been formulated. Thus as a first step, we consider the 4D analog model with boundary codimension two 1-branes. The spacetime structure of the 4D model is very similar to that of the original 6D model, where now the relevant heat kernel coefficient is well known. We derive the one-loop effective potential induced by a scalar field in the bulk by employing zeta function regularization with heat kernel analysis. As a result, the volume is stabilized for most possible choices of the parameters. Especially, for a larger degree of warping, our results imply that a large hierarchy between the mass scales and a tiny amount of effective cosmological constant can be realized on the brane. In the non-warped limit the ratio tends to converge to the same value, independently of the bulk gauge coupling constant. Finally, we will analyze volume stabilization in the original model 6D by employing the same mode-sum technique.

A note on the history of experimental and theoretical research into molecular attractive forces between solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danilova, N P

2015-01-01

From the Editorial Board. In a brief followup to the talk by E I Kats on 'Van der Waals, Casimir, and Lifshitz forces in soft matter' (see pp. 892 – 896 of this issue) at the E M Lifshitz centennial session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an interesting and instructive story was told by Nina Petrovna Danilova (Department of Low Temperature Physics and Superconductivity, Faculty of Physics, Moscow State University) of how E M Lifshitz was enlisted to explain I I Abrikosova's and B V Derjaguin's experimental results. The Editorial Board of Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk (UFN) [Physics-Uspekhi] journal found the story appropriate to be published in the 'Letters to the Editor' section of UFN in a jubilee selection of works marking the centennial of E M Lifshitz' birth. (letters to the editors)

Dependence of the Casimir-Polder interaction between an atom and a cavity wall on atomic and material properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mostepanenko, V M; Babb, J F; Caride, A O; Klimchitskaya, G L; Zanette, S I

2006-01-01

The Casimir-Polder and van der Waals interactions between an atom and a flat cavity wall are investigated under the influence of real conditions including the dynamic polarizability of the atom, actual conductivity of the wall material and nonzero temperature of the wall. The cases of different atoms near metal and dielectric walls are considered. It is shown that to obtain accurate results for the atom-wall interaction at short separations, one should use the complete tabulated optical data for the complex refractive index of the wall material and the accurate dynamic polarizability of an atom. At relatively large separations in the case of a metal wall, one may use the plasma model dielectric function to describe the dielectric properties of the wall material. The obtained results are important for the theoretical interpretation of experiments on quantum reflection and Bose-Einstein condensation

Oscillating dipole layer facing a conducting plane: a classical analogue of the dynamical Casimir effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fosco, César D. [Centro Atómico Bariloche, Instituto Balseiro, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, R8402AGP, Bariloche (Argentina); Lombardo, Fernando C., E-mail: lombardo@df.uba.ar [Departamento de Física Juan José Giambiagi, FCEyN UBA and IFIBA CONICET-UBA, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón I, 1428, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2015-12-17

We study the properties of the classical electromagnetic radiation produced by two physically different yet closely related systems, which may be regarded as classical analogues of the dynamical Casimir effect. They correspond to two flat, infinite, parallel planes, one of them static and imposing perfect-conductor boundary conditions, while the other performs a rigid oscillatory motion. The systems differ just in the electrical properties of the oscillating plane: one of them is just a planar dipole layer (representing, for instance, a small-width electret). The other, instead, has a dipole layer on the side which faces the static plane, but behaves as a conductor on the other side: this can be used as a representation of a conductor endowed with patch potentials (on the side which faces the conducting plane). We evaluate, in both cases, the dissipative flux of energy between the system and its environment, showing that, at least for small mechanical oscillation amplitudes, it can be written in terms of the dipole layer autocorrelation function. We show that there are resonances as a function of the frequency of the mechanical oscillation.

Influence of random roughness on the adhesion between metal surfaces due to capillary condensation

OpenAIRE

van Zwol, P. J.; Palasantzas, G.; De Hosson, J. Th. M.

2007-01-01

The capillary force was measured by atomic force microscopy between a gold coated sphere mounted on a cantilever and gold surfaces with different roughnesses. For smooth surfaces the capillary adhesive force surpasses in magnitude any dispersion, e.g., van der Waals/Casimir and/or electrostatic forces. A substantial decrease in the capillary force was observed by increasing the roughness ampltitude a few nanometers in the range of 1-10 nm. From these measurements two limits can be defined: a ...

Indexes to Volume 56

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The gravitational wave symphony of the Universe. B S Sathyaprakash ... A verification of quantum field theory – measurement of Casimir force. Anushree Roy and U ... stability in the presence of parallel electric field. Harsha Jalori and A K ...

Oscillating dipole layer facing a conducting plane: a classical analogue of the dynamical Casimir effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fosco, Cesar D. [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Centro Atomico Bariloche, Instituto Balseiro, Bariloche (Argentina); Lombardo, Fernando C. [Ciudad Universitaria, Departamento de Fisica Juan Jose Giambiagi, FCEyN UBA y IFIBA CONICET-UBA, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2015-12-15

We study the properties of the classical electromagnetic radiation produced by two physically different yet closely related systems, which may be regarded as classical analogues of the dynamical Casimir effect. They correspond to two flat, infinite, parallel planes, one of them static and imposing perfect-conductor boundary conditions, while the other performs a rigid oscillatory motion. The systems differ just in the electrical properties of the oscillating plane: one of them is just a planar dipole layer (representing, for instance, a small-width electret). The other, instead, has a dipole layer on the side which faces the static plane, but behaves as a conductor on the other side: this can be used as a representation of a conductor endowed with patch potentials (on the side which faces the conducting plane). We evaluate, in both cases, the dissipative flux of energy between the system and its environment, showing that, at least for small mechanical oscillation amplitudes, it can be written in terms of the dipole layer autocorrelation function. We show that there are resonances as a function of the frequency of the mechanical oscillation. (orig.)

Oscillating dipole layer facing a conducting plane: a classical analogue of the dynamical Casimir effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fosco, Cesar D.; Lombardo, Fernando C.

2015-01-01

We study the properties of the classical electromagnetic radiation produced by two physically different yet closely related systems, which may be regarded as classical analogues of the dynamical Casimir effect. They correspond to two flat, infinite, parallel planes, one of them static and imposing perfect-conductor boundary conditions, while the other performs a rigid oscillatory motion. The systems differ just in the electrical properties of the oscillating plane: one of them is just a planar dipole layer (representing, for instance, a small-width electret). The other, instead, has a dipole layer on the side which faces the static plane, but behaves as a conductor on the other side: this can be used as a representation of a conductor endowed with patch potentials (on the side which faces the conducting plane). We evaluate, in both cases, the dissipative flux of energy between the system and its environment, showing that, at least for small mechanical oscillation amplitudes, it can be written in terms of the dipole layer autocorrelation function. We show that there are resonances as a function of the frequency of the mechanical oscillation. (orig.)

van der Waals interaction of excited media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherkunov, Yury

2005-01-01

The Casimir interaction between two media of ground-state atoms is well described with the help of the Lifshitz formula depending upon the permittivity of the media. We will show that this formula is in contradiction with experimental evidence for excited atoms. We calculate the Casimir force between two atoms if one or both of them are excited. We use methods of quantum electrodynamics specially derived for the problem. It enables us to take into account the excited-state radiation widths of atoms. Then we calculate the force between the excited atom and medium of ground-state atoms. The results are in agreement with the ones obtained by other authors who used perturbation theory or linear response theory. Generalization of our results to the case of the interaction between two media of excited atoms results in a formula, which is in not only in quantitative, but in qualitative contradiction with the Lifshitz formula. This contradiction disappears if the media of ground-state atoms are considered. Moreover, our result does not include the permittivity of the media. It includes a quantity which differs from the permittivity only for excited atoms. The main features of our results are as follows. The interaction is resonant, the force may be either attractive or repulsive depending on the resonant frequencies of the atoms of different media, and the value of the Casimir force may be several orders of magnitude lager than that predicted by the Lifshitz formula. The features mentioned here are in agreement with known experimental and theoretical evidence obtained by many authors for the interaction of a single excited atom with dielectric media

Towards measuring quantum electrodynamic torque with a levitated nanorod

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhujing; Bang, Jaehoon; Ahn, Jonghoon; Hoang, Thai M.; Li, Tongcang

2017-04-01

According to quantum electrodynamics, quantum fluctuations of electromagnetic fields give rise to a zero-point energy that never vanishes, even in the absence of electromagnetic sources. The interaction energy will not only lead to the well-known Casimir force but will also contribute to the Casimir torque for anisotropic materials. We propose to use an optically levitated nanorod in vacuum and a birefringent substrate to experimentally investigate the QED torque. We have previously observed the libration of an optically levitated non-spherical nanoparticle in vacuum and found it to be an ultrasensitive torque sensor. A nanorod with a long axis of 300nm and a diameter of 60nm levitated in vacuum at 10 (- 8) torr will have a remarkable torque detection sensitivity on the order of 10 (- 28) Nm/ √Hz, which will be sufficient to detect the Casimir torque. This work is partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.1555035-PHY.

Photon density of states for deformed surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emig, T

2006-01-01

A new approach to the Helmholtz spectrum for arbitrarily shaped boundaries and a rather general class of boundary conditions is introduced. We derive the boundary induced change of the density of states in terms of the free Green's function from which we obtain both perturbative and non-perturbative results for the Casimir interaction between deformed surfaces. As an example, we compute the lateral electrodynamic Casimir force between two corrugated surfaces over a wide parameter range. Universal behaviour, fixed only by the largest wavelength component of the surface shape, is identified at large surface separations. This complements known short distance expansions which are also reproduced

A theoretical model for investigating the effect of vacuum fluctuations on the electromechanical stability of nanotweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Farrokhabadi, A.; Mokhtari, J.; Koochi, A.; Abadyan, M.

2015-06-01

In this paper, the impact of the Casimir attraction on the electromechanical stability of nanowire-fabricated nanotweezers is investigated using a theoretical continuum mechanics model. The Dirichlet mode is considered and an asymptotic solution, based on path integral approach, is applied to consider the effect of vacuum fluctuations in the model. The Euler-Bernoulli beam theory is employed to derive the nonlinear governing equation of the nanotweezers. The governing equations are solved by three different approaches, i.e. the modified variation iteration method, generalized differential quadrature method and using a lumped parameter model. Various perspectives of the problem, including the comparison with the van der Waals force regime, the variation of instability parameters and effects of geometry are addressed in present paper. The proposed approach is beneficial for the precise determination of the electrostatic response of the nanotweezers in the presence of Casimir force.

Different ways of looking at the electromagnetic vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milonni, P.W.

1987-01-01

Some thoughts on the electromagnetic vacuum are presented in connection with the vacuum and source fields as alternative physical bases for understanding spontaneous emission, the Lamb shift, Casimir effects, van der Waals forces, and the ''thermalization'' of vacuum fluctuations for a uniformly accelerated observer

New interpretation of matter-antimatter asymmetry based on branes and possible observational consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Ronggen; Li Tong; Li Xueqian; Wang Xun

2007-01-01

Motivated by the alpha-magnetic-spectrometer (AMS) project, we assume that after the big bang or inflation epoch, antimatter was repelled onto one brane which is separated from our brane where all the observational matter resides. It is suggested that CP may be spontaneously broken, the two branes would correspond to ground states for matter and antimatter, respectively. Generally a complex scalar field which is responsible for the spontaneous CP violation, exists in the space between the branes. The matter and antimatter on the two branes attract each other via gravitational force, meanwhile the scalar field causes a Casimir effect to result in a repulsive force against the gravitation. We find that the Casimir force is much stronger than the gravitational force, as long as the separation of the two branes is small. Thus at early epoch after the big bang, the two branes were closer and then have been separated by the Casimir repulsive force from each other. The trend will continue until the separation is sufficiently large and then the gravitational force observed in our four-space would obviously deviate from the Newton's universal gravitational law. We suppose that there is a potential barrier at the brane boundary, which is similar to the surface tension for a water membrane. The barrier prevents the matter (antimatter) particles from entering the space between two branes and jump from one brane to another. However, by the quantum tunneling, a sizable antimatter flux may come to our brane and be observed by the AMS. In this work by considering two possible models, i.e. the naive flat space-time and Randall-Sundrum models, and using the observational data on the visible matter in our universe as inputs, we derive the antimatter flux which comes to our detector in the nonrelativistic approximation and make a rough numerical estimate of possible numbers of antihelium at AMS

Quantum electrodynamical torques in the presence of Brownian motion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Munday, J. N.; Iannuzzi, D.; Capasso, F.

2006-01-01

Quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field give rise to a zero-point energy that persists even in the absence of electromagnetic sources. One striking consequence of the zero-point energy is manifested in the Casimir force, which causes two electrically neutral metallic plates to attract in

Global consequences of a local Casimir force : Adhered cantilever

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Svetovoy, V. B.; Melenev, A. E.; Lokhanin, M. V.; Palasantzas, G.

2017-01-01

Although stiction is a cumbersome problem for microsystems, it stimulates investigations of surface adhesion. In fact, the shape of an adhered cantilever carries information of the adhesion energy that locks one end to the substrate. We demonstrate here that the system is also sensitive to the

Self assembly of anisotropic particles with critical Casimir forces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nguyễn, Trúc Anh

2016-01-01

Building new materials with structures on the micron and nanoscale presents a grand challenge currently. It requires fine control in the assembly of well-designed building blocks, and understanding of the mechanical, thermodynamic, and opto-electronic properties of the resulting structures. Patchy

Diffusion of Wilson loops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brzoska, A.M.; Lenz, F.; Thies, M.; Negele, J.W.

2005-01-01

A phenomenological analysis of the distribution of Wilson loops in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory is presented in which Wilson loop distributions are described as the result of a diffusion process on the group manifold. It is shown that, in the absence of forces, diffusion implies Casimir scaling and, conversely, exact Casimir scaling implies free diffusion. Screening processes occur if diffusion takes place in a potential. The crucial distinction between screening of fundamental and adjoint loops is formulated as a symmetry property related to the center symmetry of the underlying gauge theory. The results are expressed in terms of an effective Wilson loop action and compared with various limits of SU(2) Yang-Mills theory

Quantum levitation by left-handed metamaterials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leonhardt, Ulf; Philbin, Thomas G [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS (United Kingdom)

2007-08-15

Left-handed metamaterials make perfect lenses that image classical electromagnetic fields with significantly higher resolution than the diffraction limit. Here, we consider the quantum physics of such devices. We show that the Casimir force of two conducting plates may turn from attraction to repulsion if a perfect lens is sandwiched between them. For optical left-handed metamaterials, this repulsive force of the quantum vacuum may levitate ultra-thin mirrors.

Quantum levitation by left-handed metamaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonhardt, Ulf; Philbin, Thomas G

2007-01-01

Left-handed metamaterials make perfect lenses that image classical electromagnetic fields with significantly higher resolution than the diffraction limit. Here, we consider the quantum physics of such devices. We show that the Casimir force of two conducting plates may turn from attraction to repulsion if a perfect lens is sandwiched between them. For optical left-handed metamaterials, this repulsive force of the quantum vacuum may levitate ultra-thin mirrors

The Casimir Effect from the Point of View of Algebraic Quantum Field Theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dappiaggi, Claudio, E-mail: claudio.dappiaggi@unipv.it; Nosari, Gabriele [Università degli Studi di Pavia, Dipartimento di Fisica (Italy); Pinamonti, Nicola [Università di Genova, Dipartimento di Matematica (Italy)

2016-06-15

We consider a region of Minkowski spacetime bounded either by one or by two parallel, infinitely extended plates orthogonal to a spatial direction and a real Klein-Gordon field satisfying Dirichlet boundary conditions. We quantize these two systems within the algebraic approach to quantum field theory using the so-called functional formalism. As a first step we construct a suitable unital ∗-algebra of observables whose generating functionals are characterized by a labelling space which is at the same time optimal and separating and fulfils the F-locality property. Subsequently we give a definition for these systems of Hadamard states and we investigate explicit examples. In the case of a single plate, it turns out that one can build algebraic states via a pull-back of those on the whole Minkowski spacetime, moreover inheriting from them the Hadamard property. When we consider instead two plates, algebraic states can be put in correspondence with those on flat spacetime via the so-called method of images, which we translate to the algebraic setting. For a massless scalar field we show that this procedure works perfectly for a large class of quasi-free states including the Poincaré vacuum and KMS states. Eventually Wick polynomials are introduced. Contrary to the Minkowski case, the extended algebras, built in globally hyperbolic subregions can be collected in a global counterpart only after a suitable deformation which is expressed locally in terms of a *-isomorphism. As a last step, we construct explicitly the two-point function and the regularized energy density, showing, moreover, that the outcome is consistent with the standard results of the Casimir effect.

Radion effective potential in the brane-world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garriga, Jaume; Pujolas, Oriol; Tanaka, Takahiro

2001-01-01

We show that in brane-world scenarios with warped extra dimensions, the Casimir force due to bulk matter fields may be sufficient to stabilize the radion field phi. In particular, we calculate one loop effective potential for phi induced by bulk gravitons and other possible massless bulk fields in the Randall-Sundrum background. This potential has a local extremum, which can be a maximum or a minimum depending on the detailed bulk matter content. If the parameters of the background are chosen so that the hierarchy problem is solved geometrically, then the radion mass induced by Casimir corrections is hierarchically smaller than the TeV. Hence, in this important case, we must invoke an alternative mechanism (classical or nonperturbative) which gives the radion a sizable mass, to make it compatible with observations

Radion effective potential in the brane-world

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garriga, Jaume E-mail: garriga@ifae.es; Pujolas, Oriol; Tanaka, Takahiro

2001-07-02

We show that in brane-world scenarios with warped extra dimensions, the Casimir force due to bulk matter fields may be sufficient to stabilize the radion field phi. In particular, we calculate one loop effective potential for phi induced by bulk gravitons and other possible massless bulk fields in the Randall-Sundrum background. This potential has a local extremum, which can be a maximum or a minimum depending on the detailed bulk matter content. If the parameters of the background are chosen so that the hierarchy problem is solved geometrically, then the radion mass induced by Casimir corrections is hierarchically smaller than the TeV. Hence, in this important case, we must invoke an alternative mechanism (classical or nonperturbative) which gives the radion a sizable mass, to make it compatible with observations.

Casimir Force Contrast Between Amorphous and Crystalline Phases of AIST

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Torricelli, Gauthier; van Zwol, Peter J.; Shpak, Olex; Palasantzas, George; Svetovoy, Vitaly B.; Binns, Chris; Kooi, Bart J.; Jost, Peter; Wuttig, Matthias

2012-01-01

Phase change materials (PCMs) can be rapidly and reversibly switched between the amorphous and crystalline state. The structural transformation is accompanied by a significant change of optical and electronic properties rendering PCMs suitable for rewritable optical data storage and non-volatile

Casimir Force Contrast Between Amorphous and Crystalline Phases of AIST

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Torrichelli, G.; van Zwol, P.J.; Shpak, O.; Palasantzas, G.; Svetovoy, Vitaly; Binns, C.; Kooi, B.J.; Jost, P.; Wittig, M.

2012-01-01

Phase change materials (PCMs) can be rapidly and reversibly switched between the amorphous and crystalline state. The structural transformation is accompanied by a signifi cant change of optical and electronic properties rendering PCMs suitable for rewritable optical data storage and nonvolatile

Surface modes in physics

CERN Document Server

Sernelius, Bo E

2011-01-01

Electromagnetic surface modes are present at all surfaces and interfaces between material of different dielectric properties. These modes have very important effects on numerous physical quantities: adhesion, capillary force, step formation and crystal growth, the Casimir effect etc. They cause surface tension and wetting and they give rise to forces which are important e.g. for the stability of colloids.This book is a useful and elegant approach to the topic, showing how the concept of electromagnetic modes can be developed as a unifying theme for a range of condensed matter physics. The

Thixotropic Phenomena in Water: Quantitative Indicators of Casimir-Magnetic Transformations from Vacuum Oscillations (Virtual Particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael A. Persinger

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The ~1.5 × 10−20 J which is considered a universal quantity and is associated with the movement of protons in water also relates to the ratio of the magnetic moment of a proton divided by its unit charge, multiplied by viscosity and applied over the O-H distance. There is quantitative evidence that thixotropy, the “spontaneous” increased viscosity in water when undisturbed, originates from the transformation of virtual particles or vacuum oscillations to real states through conversion of Casimir-magnetic energies that involve the frequency of the neutral hydrogen line and the upper bound threshold value for intergalactic magnetic fields. The results indicate that ½ of a single electron orbit is real (particle and the other ½ is virtual (wave. The matter equivalent per s for virtual-to-real states for electrons in 1 mL of water with a neutral pH is consistent with the numbers of protons (H+ and the measured range of molecules in the coherent domains for both width and duration of growth and is similar to widths of intergalactic dust grains from which planets and stars may condense. The de Broglie momentum for the lower boundary of the width of coherent domains multiplied by the fine structure velocity of an electron is concurrent with the quantum when one proton is being removed from another and when the upper boundary of the rest mass of a photon is transformed by the product of velocities for putative “entanglement” and light. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that components of thixotropy, such as specific domains of intercalated water molecules, could display excess correlations over very large distances. Because the energies of the universal quantity and water converge it may be a special conduit for discrete transformations from virtual to real states.

Quantum mechanical effects of topological origin

Science.gov (United States)

Duru, I. H.

1993-01-01

Following a brief review of the original Casimir and Aharonov-Bohm effects, some other effects of similar natures are mentioned. A Casimir interaction between AB fluxes is presented. Possible realizations of the Casimir effects for massive charged fields in solid state structures and a new AB effect for photons are suggested.

Grain size and nanoscale effects on the nonlinear pull-in instability and vibrations of electrostatic actuators made of nanocrystalline material

Science.gov (United States)

Gholami, R.; Ansari, R.

2018-01-01

Presented herein is the study of grain size, grain surface energy and small scale effects on the nonlinear pull-in instability and free vibration of electrostatic nanoscale actuators made of nanocrystalline silicon (Nc-Si). A Mori-Tanaka micromechanical model is utilized to calculate the effective material properties of Nc-Si considering material structure inhomogeneity, grain size and grain surface energy. The small-scale effect is also taken into account using Mindlin’s strain gradient theory. Governing equations are derived in the discretized weak form using the variational differential quadrature method based on the third-order shear defamation beam theory in conjunction with the von Kármán hypothesis. The electrostatic actuation is modeled considering the fringing field effects based upon the parallel plate approximation. Moreover, the Casimir force effect is considered. The pseudo arc-length continuation technique is used to obtain the applied voltage-deflection curve of Nc-Si actuators. Then, a time-dependent small disturbance around the deflected configuration is assumed to solve the free vibration problem. By performing a numerical study, the influences of various factors such as length scale parameter, volume fraction of the inclusion phase, density ratio, average inclusion radius and Casimir force on the pull-in instability and free vibration of Nc-Si actuators are investigated.

Coupling of demixing and magnetic ordering phase transitions probed by turbidimetric measurements in a binary mixture doped with magnetic nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez-Diaz, Lorenzo; Hernandez-Reta, Juan Carlos; Encinas, Armando; Nahmad-Molinari, Yuri

2010-01-01

We present a novel study on the effect of a magnetic field applied on a binary mixture doped with magnetic nanoparticles close to its demixing transition. Turbidity measurements in the Faraday configuration show that the effect of applying an external field produces changes in the critical opalescence of the mixture that allow us to track an aggregation produced by critical Casimir forces and a reversible aggregation due to the formation of chain-like flocks in response to the external magnetic field. The observation of a crossover of the aggregation curves through optical signals is interpreted as the evolution from low to high power dispersion nuclei due to an increase in the radius of the condensation seed brought about by Casimir or magnetic interactions. Finally, evidence of an enhanced magnetocaloric effect due to the coupling between mixing and ordering phase transitions is presented which opens up a nonsolid state approach of designing refrigerating cycles and devices.

Coupling of demixing and magnetic ordering phase transitions probed by turbidimetric measurements in a binary mixture doped with magnetic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Díaz, Lorenzo; Hernández-Reta, Juan Carlos; Encinas, Armando; Nahmad-Molinari, Yuri

2010-05-01

We present a novel study on the effect of a magnetic field applied on a binary mixture doped with magnetic nanoparticles close to its demixing transition. Turbidity measurements in the Faraday configuration show that the effect of applying an external field produces changes in the critical opalescence of the mixture that allow us to track an aggregation produced by critical Casimir forces and a reversible aggregation due to the formation of chain-like flocks in response to the external magnetic field. The observation of a crossover of the aggregation curves through optical signals is interpreted as the evolution from low to high power dispersion nuclei due to an increase in the radius of the condensation seed brought about by Casimir or magnetic interactions. Finally, evidence of an enhanced magnetocaloric effect due to the coupling between mixing and ordering phase transitions is presented which opens up a nonsolid state approach of designing refrigerating cycles and devices.

Coupling of demixing and magnetic ordering phase transitions probed by turbidimetric measurements in a binary mixture doped with magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hernandez-Diaz, Lorenzo; Hernandez-Reta, Juan Carlos; Encinas, Armando; Nahmad-Molinari, Yuri, E-mail: yuri@ifisica.uaslp.m [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Alvaro Obregon 64, 78000 San Luis Potosi (Mexico)

2010-05-19

We present a novel study on the effect of a magnetic field applied on a binary mixture doped with magnetic nanoparticles close to its demixing transition. Turbidity measurements in the Faraday configuration show that the effect of applying an external field produces changes in the critical opalescence of the mixture that allow us to track an aggregation produced by critical Casimir forces and a reversible aggregation due to the formation of chain-like flocks in response to the external magnetic field. The observation of a crossover of the aggregation curves through optical signals is interpreted as the evolution from low to high power dispersion nuclei due to an increase in the radius of the condensation seed brought about by Casimir or magnetic interactions. Finally, evidence of an enhanced magnetocaloric effect due to the coupling between mixing and ordering phase transitions is presented which opens up a nonsolid state approach of designing refrigerating cycles and devices.

Green's dyadic approach of the self-stress on a dielectric-diamagnetic cylinder with non-uniform speed of light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavero-Pelaez, I; Milton, K A

2006-01-01

We present a Green's dyadic formulation to calculate the Casimir energy for a dielectric-diamagnetic cylinder with the speed of light differing inside and outside. Although the result is in general divergent, special cases are meaningful. It is pointed out how the self-stress on a purely dielectric cylinder vanishes through second order in the deviation of the permittivity from its vacuum value, in agreement with the result calculated from the sum of van der Waals forces

A geometric theory of selective decay with applications in MHD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gay-Balmaz, François; Holm, Darryl D

2014-01-01

Modifications of the equations of ideal fluid dynamics with advected quantities are introduced that allow selective decay of either the energy h or the Casimir quantities C in the Lie–Poisson (LP) formulation. The dissipated quantity (energy or Casimir, respectively) is shown to decrease in time until the modified system reaches an equilibrium state consistent with ideal energy-Casimir equilibria, namely δ(h + C) = 0. The result holds for LP equations in general, independently of the Lie algebra and the choice of Casimir. This selective decay process is illustrated with a number of examples in 2D and 3D magnetohydrodynamics. (paper)

Casimir force and complications in the van Kampen theory for dissipative systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sernelius, Bo E.

2006-01-01

In dissipative media it appears as if there are distinct normal modes with complex valued energies. The summation of the zero-point energies of these modes render a complex valued result. Using the contour integration, resulting from the use of the generalized argument principle, gives a real valued and different result. This paper resolves this contradiction and shows that the true normal modes form a continuum with real frequencies. Furthermore, it suggests a way to obtain an approximate result from a summation of the zero-point energy of modes

Development of a second generation torsion balance based on a spherical superconducting suspension

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Giles D.; Speake, Clive C.; Matthews, Anthony J.; Rocco, Emanuele; Peña-Arellano, Fabian

2008-02-01

This paper describes the development of a second generation superconducting torsion balance to be used for a precision measurement of the Casimir force and a short range test of the inverse square law of gravity at 4.2K. The instrument utilizes niobium (Nb) as the superconducting element and employs passive damping of the parasitic modes of oscillation. Any contact potential difference between the torsion balance and its surroundings is nulled to within ≈50mV by applying known DC biases and fitting the resulting parabolic relationship between the measured torque and the applied voltage. A digital proportional-integral-derivative servo system has been developed and characterized in order to control the azimuthal position of the instrument. The angular acceleration and displacement noise are currently limited by the capacitive sensor at the level 3×10-8rads-2/√Hz and 30nm/√Hz at 100mHz. The possibility of lossy dielectric coatings on the surface of the torsion balance test masses is also investigated. Our measurements show that the loss angles δ are (1.5±2.3)×10-4 and (2.0±2.2)×10-4 at frequencies of 5 and 10mHz, respectively. These values of loss are not significant sources of error for measurements of the Casimir force using this experimental setup.

Chameleon vector bosons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, Ann E.; Walsh, Jonathan

2008-01-01

We show that for a force mediated by a vector particle coupled to a conserved U(1) charge, the apparent range and strength can depend on the size and density of the source, and the proximity to other sources. This chameleon effect is due to screening from a light charged scalar. Such screening can weaken astrophysical constraints on new gauge bosons. As an example we consider the constraints on chameleonic gauged B-L. We show that although Casimir measurements greatly constrain any B-L force much stronger than gravity with range longer than 0.1 μm, there remains an experimental window for a long-range chameleonic B-L force. Such a force could be much stronger than gravity, and long or infinite range in vacuum, but have an effective range near the surface of the earth which is less than a micron.

PREFACE: Quantum Field Theory Under the Influence of External Conditions (QFEXT07)

Science.gov (United States)

Bordag, M.; Mostepanenko, V. M.

2008-04-01

This special issue contains papers reflecting talks presented at the 8th Workshop on Quantum Field Theory Under the Influence of External Conditions (QFEXT07), held on 17 21 September 2007, at Leipzig University. This workshop gathered 108 physicists and mathematicians working on problems which are focused on the following topics: •Casimir and van der Waals forces—progress in theory and new experiments, applications at micro- and nano-scale •Casimir effect—exact results, approximate methods and mathematical problems •Vacuum quantum effects in classical background fields—renormalization issues, singular backgrounds, applications to particle and high energy physics •Vacuum energy and gravity, vacuum energy in supersymmetric and noncommutative theories. This workshop is part of a series started in 1989 and 1992 in Leipzig by Dieter Robaschik, and continued in 1995, 1998 and 2001 in Leipzig by Michael Bordag. In 2003 this Workshop was organized by Kimball A Milton in Oklahoma, in 2005 by Emilio Elizalde in Barcelona and in 2007 it returned to Leipzig. The field of physics after which this series of workshops is named is remarkably broad. It stretches from experimental work on the measurement of dispersion forces between macroscopic bodies to quantum corrections in the presence of classical background fields. The underlying physical idea is that even in its ground state (vacuum) a quantum system responds to changes in its environment. The universality of this idea makes the field of its application so very broad. The most prominent manifestation of vacuum energy is the Casimir effect. This is, in its original formulation, the attraction between conducting planes due to the vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. In a sense, this is the long-range tail of the more general dispersion forces acting between macroscopic bodies. With the progress in nanotechnology, dispersion forces become of direct practical significance. On a more theoretical side

Vacuum stress tensor of a scalar field in a rectangular waveguide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, R.B.; Svaiter, N.F.; Paola, R.D.M. de

2001-11-01

Using the heat Kernel method and the analytical continuation of the zeta function, we calculate the canonical and improved vacuum stress tensors, {T μν (vector x)} and {Θ μν (vector x)}, associated with a massless scalar field confined in the interior of an infinity long rectangular waveguide. The local depence of the renormalized energy for two special configurations when the total energy is positive and negative are presented using {T 00 (vector x)} and {Θ 00 (vector x)}. From the stress tensors we obtain the local casimir forces in all walls by introducing a particular external configuration. It is hown that this external configuration cannot give account of the edge divergences of the local forces. The local form of the forces is obtained for three special configurations. (author)

Corrected direct force balance method for atomic force microscopy lateral force calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asay, David B.; Hsiao, Erik; Kim, Seong H.

2009-01-01

This paper reports corrections and improvements of the previously reported direct force balance method (DFBM) developed for lateral calibration of atomic force microscopy. The DFBM method employs the lateral force signal obtained during a force-distance measurement on a sloped surface and relates this signal to the applied load and the slope of the surface to determine the lateral calibration factor. In the original publication [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 77, 043903 (2006)], the tip-substrate contact was assumed to be pinned at the point of contact, i.e., no slip along the slope. In control experiments, the tip was found to slide along the slope during force-distance curve measurement. This paper presents the correct force balance for lateral force calibration.

Demonstration of biased membrane static figure mapping by optical beam subpixel centroid shift

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinto, Fabrizio, E-mail: fpinto@jazanu.edu.sa [Laboratory for Quantum Vacuum Applications, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Jazan University, P.O. Box 114, Gizan 45142 (Saudi Arabia)

2016-06-10

The measurement of Casimir forces by means of condenser microphones has been shown to be quite promising since its early introduction almost half-a-century ago. However, unlike the remarkable progress achieved in characterizing the vibrating membrane in the dynamical case, the accurate determination of the membrane static figure under electrostatic bias remains a challenge. In this paper, we discuss our first data obtained by measuring the centroid shift of an optical beam with subpixel accuracy by charge coupled device (CCD) and by an extensive analysis of noise sources present in the experimental setup.

Application of the Lifshitz Theory to Poor Conductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svetovoy, Vitaly B.

2008-01-01

The Lifshitz formula for dispersive forces is generalized to the materials, which cannot be described with the local dielectric response. The principal nonlocality of poor conductors is related to the finite screening length of the penetrating field and collisional relaxation; at low temperatures the role of collisions plays the Landau damping. Spatial dispersion makes the theory self-consistent. Our predictions are compared with the recent experiment. It is demonstrated that at low temperatures Casimir-Lifshitz entropy disappears as T in the case of degenerate plasma and as T 2 for the nondegenerate one

Quantum vacuum energy in graphs and billiards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, L.

2010-01-01

The vacuum (Casimir) energy in quantum field theory is a problem relevant both to new nanotechnology devices and to dark energy in cosmology. The crucial question is the dependence of the energy on the system geometry. Despite much progress since the first prediction of the Casimir effect in 1948 and its subsequent experimental verification in simple geometries, even the sign of the force in nontrivial situations is still a matter of controversy. Mathematically, vacuum energy fits squarely into the spectral theory of second-order self-adjoint elliptic linear differential operators. Specifically one promising approach is based on the small-t asymptotics of the cylinder kernel e -t√(H) , where H is the self-adjoint operator under study. In contrast with the well-studied heat kernel e -tH , the cylinder kernel depends in a non-local way on the geometry of the problem. We discuss some results by the Louisiana-Oklahoma-Texas collaboration on vacuum energy in model systems, including quantum graphs and two-dimensional cavities. The results may shed light on general questions, including the relationship between vacuum energy and periodic or closed classical orbits, and the contribution to vacuum energy of boundaries, edges, and corners.

Spectral methods in quantum field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, Noah; Quandt, Markus; Weigel, Herbert

2009-01-01

This concise text introduces techniques from quantum mechanics, especially scattering theory, to compute the effects of an external background on a quantum field in general, and on the properties of the quantum vacuum in particular. This approach can be succesfully used in an increasingly large number of situations, ranging from the study of solitons in field theory and cosmology to the determination of Casimir forces in nano-technology. The method introduced and applied in this book is shown to give an unambiguous connection to perturbation theory, implementing standard renormalization conditions even for non-perturbative backgrounds. It both gives new theoretical insights, for example illuminating longstanding questions regarding Casimir stresses, and also provides an efficient analytic and numerical tool well suited to practical calculations. Last but not least, it elucidates in a concrete context many of the subtleties of quantum field theory, such as divergences, regularization and renormalization, by connecting them to more familiar results in quantum mechanics. While addressed primarily at young researchers entering the field and nonspecialist researchers with backgrounds in theoretical and mathematical physics, introductory chapters on the theoretical aspects of the method make the book self-contained and thus suitable for advanced graduate students. (orig.)

Investigation of Calibrating Force Transducer Using Sinusoidal Force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Li; Wang Yu; Zhang Lizhe

2010-01-01

Sinusoidal force calibration method was studied several years before at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). A similar dynamic force calibration system is developed at Changcheng Institute of Metrology and Measurement (CIMM). It uses electro-dynamic shakers to generate dynamic force in the range from 1 N to 20 kN, and heterodyne laser interferometers are used for acceleration measurement. The force transducer to be calibrated is mounted on the shaker, and a mass block is screwed on the top of force transducer, the sinusoidal forces realized by accelerated load masses are traceable to acceleration and mass according to the force definition. The methods of determining Spatial-dependent acceleration on mass block and measuring the end mass of force transducer in dynamic force calibration are discussed in this paper.

Zero-point energy of confined fermions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milton, K.A.

1980-01-01

A closed form for the reduced Green's function of massless fermions in the interior of a spherical bag is obtained. In terms of this Green's function, the corresponding zero-point or Casimir energy is computed. It is proposed that a resulting quadratic divergence can be absorbed by renormalizing a suitable parameter in the bag model (that is, absorbed by a contact term). The residual Casimir stress is attractive, but smaller than the repulsive Casimir stress of gluons in the model. The result for the total zero-point energy is in substantial disagreement with bag model phenomenological values

Atomic interferometers in an optical lattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelle, Bruno

2013-01-01

The aim of the ForCa-G project, for Casimir force and short range Gravitation, lies into the measurement of short range forces between atoms and a mirror using atomic interferometry techniques. Particularly, the Casimir-Polder force and the pursuit of short range gravitational tests in the frame of potential deviations of Newton's law are aimed. This experiment is based on the trapping of neutral atoms in a 1D vertical optical lattice, where the energy eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian describing this system is the so-called Wannier-Stark ladder of discrete energy states localized in each lattice well. This work constitutes a demonstration of principle of this project with atoms set far from the mirror. Each energy state is thus separated from the one of the adjacent well by the potential energy increment between those two wells, called the Bloch frequency ν B . Then, atomic interferometers are realized in the lattice using Raman or microwave pulses where the trapped atomic wave functions are placed, and then recombined, in a superposition of states between different energy states localized either in the same well, either in adjacent wells. This work presents the study of different kinds of atomic interferometers in this optical lattice, characterized in terms of sensibility and systematic effects on the Bloch frequency measurement. One of the studied interferometers accessed to a sensitivity on the Bloch frequency of σ δ ν B /ν B =9.0x10 -6 at 1∼s in relative, which integrates until σ δ ν B /ν B =1. 10 -7 in 2800∼s. This corresponds to a state-of-the-art measurement of the gravity acceleration g for a trapped atomic gravimeter. (author)

Subatomic forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutton, C.

1989-01-01

Inside the atom, particles interact through two forces which are never felt in the everyday world. But they may hold the key to the Universe. These ideas on subatomic forces are discussed with respect to the strong force, the electromagnetic force and the electroweak force. (author)

Quadriceps force and anterior tibial force occur obviously later than vertical ground reaction force: a simulation study

OpenAIRE

Ueno, Ryo; Ishida, Tomoya; Yamanaka, Masanori; Taniguchi, Shohei; Ikuta, Ryohei; Samukawa, Mina; Saito, Hiroshi; Tohyama, Harukazu

2017-01-01

Background: Although it is well known that quadriceps force generates anterior tibial force, it has been unclear whether quadriceps force causes great anterior tibial force during the early phase of a landing task. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the quadriceps force induced great anterior tibial force during the early phase of a landing task. Methods: Fourteen young, healthy, female subjects performed a single-leg landing task. Muscle force and anterior tibial force w...

Modeling the size dependent pull-in instability of beam-type NEMS using strain gradient theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Koochi

Full Text Available It is well recognized that size dependency of materials characteristics, i.e. size-effect, often plays a significant role in the performance of nano-structures. Herein, strain gradient continuum theory is employed to investigate the size dependent pull-in instability of beam-type nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS. Two most common types of NEMS i.e. nano-bridge and nano-cantilever are considered. Effects of electrostatic field and dispersion forces i.e. Casimir and van der Waals (vdW attractions have been considered in the nonlinear governing equations of the systems. Two different solution methods including numerical and Rayleigh-Ritz have been employed to solve the constitutive differential equations of the system. Effect of dispersion forces, the size dependency and the importance of coupling between them on the instability performance are discussed.

Alpenglow. A signature for chameleons in axion-like particle search experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlers, M.; Lindner, A.; Ringwald, A.; Schrempp, L.; Weniger, C.

2007-10-01

We point out that chameleon field theories might reveal themselves as an ''afterglow'' effect in axion-like particle search experiments due to chameleon-photon conversion in a magnetic field. We estimate the parameter space which is accessible by currently available technology and find that afterglow experiments could constrain this parameter space in a way complementary to gravitational and Casimir force experiments.In addition, one could reach photon-chameleon couplings which are beyond the sensitivity of common laser polarization experiments. We also sketch the idea of a Fabry-Perot cavity with chameleons which could increase the experimental sensitivity significantly. (orig.)

Electrostatic fluctuations in soap films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, D.S.; Horgan, R.R.

2002-01-01

A field theory to describe electrostatic interactions in soap films, described by electric multilayers with a generalized thermodynamic surface-charging mechanism, is studied. In the limit where the electrostatic interactions are weak, this theory is exactly soluble. The theory incorporates in a consistent way, the surface-charging mechanism and the fluctuations in the electrostatic field that correspond to the zero-frequency component of the van der Waals force. It is shown that these terms lead to a Casimir-like attraction that can be sufficiently large to explain the transition between the common black film to a Newton black film

Alpenglow: A signature for chameleons in axionlike particle search experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlers, M.; Lindner, A.; Ringwald, A.; Schrempp, L.; Weniger, C.

2008-01-01

We point out that chameleon field theories might reveal themselves as an afterglow effect in axionlike particle search experiments due to chameleon-photon conversion in a magnetic field. We estimate the parameter space which is accessible by currently available technology and find that afterglow experiments could constrain this parameter space in a way complementary to gravitational and Casimir force experiments. In addition, one could reach photon-chameleon couplings which are beyond the sensitivity of common laser polarization experiments. We also sketch the idea of a Fabry-Perot cavity with chameleons which could increase the experimental sensitivity significantly

Surface dependency in thermodynamics of ideal gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisman, Altug

2004-01-01

The Casimir-like size effect rises in ideal gases confined in a finite domain due to the wave character of atoms. By considering this effect, thermodynamic properties of an ideal gas confined in spherical and cylindrical geometries are derived and compared with those in rectangular geometry. It is seen that an ideal gas exhibits an unavoidable quantum surface free energy and surface over volume ratio becomes a control variable on thermodynamic state functions in microscale. Thermodynamics turns into non-extensive thermodynamics and geometry difference becomes a driving force since the surface over volume ratio depends on the geometry

Quantum levitation of nanoparticles seen with ultracold neutrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nesvizhevsky, V. V., E-mail: nesvizhevsky@ill.eu [Institut Laue-Langevin (France); Voronin, A. Yu. [Lebedev Institute (Russian Federation); Lambrecht, A.; Reynaud, S. [Laboratoire Kastler-Brossel, CNRS, ENS, UPMC (France); Lychagin, E. V.; Muzychka, A. Yu.; Strelkov, A. V. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Russian Federation)

2013-09-15

Analyzing new experiments with ultracold neutrons (UCNs) we show that physical adsorption of nanoparticles/nanodroplets, levitating in high-excited states in a deep and broad potential well formed by van der Waals/Casimir-Polder (vdW/CP) forces results in new effects on a cross-road of the fields of fundamental interactions, neutron, surface and nanoparticle physics. Accounting for the interaction of UCNs with nanoparticles explains a recently discovered intriguing so-called 'small heating' of UCNs in traps. It might be relevant to the striking conflict of the neutron lifetime experiments with smallest reported uncertainties by adding false effects there.

Quantum levitation of nanoparticles seen with ultracold neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesvizhevsky, V. V.; Voronin, A. Yu.; Lambrecht, A.; Reynaud, S.; Lychagin, E. V.; Muzychka, A. Yu.; Strelkov, A. V.

2013-01-01

Analyzing new experiments with ultracold neutrons (UCNs) we show that physical adsorption of nanoparticles/nanodroplets, levitating in high-excited states in a deep and broad potential well formed by van der Waals/Casimir-Polder (vdW/CP) forces results in new effects on a cross-road of the fields of fundamental interactions, neutron, surface and nanoparticle physics. Accounting for the interaction of UCNs with nanoparticles explains a recently discovered intriguing so-called “small heating” of UCNs in traps. It might be relevant to the striking conflict of the neutron lifetime experiments with smallest reported uncertainties by adding false effects there

Alpenglow. A signature for chameleons in axion-like particle search experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahlers, M.; Lindner, A.; Ringwald, A.; Schrempp, L.; Weniger, C.

2007-10-15

We point out that chameleon field theories might reveal themselves as an ''afterglow'' effect in axion-like particle search experiments due to chameleon-photon conversion in a magnetic field. We estimate the parameter space which is accessible by currently available technology and find that afterglow experiments could constrain this parameter space in a way complementary to gravitational and Casimir force experiments.In addition, one could reach photon-chameleon couplings which are beyond the sensitivity of common laser polarization experiments. We also sketch the idea of a Fabry-Perot cavity with chameleons which could increase the experimental sensitivity significantly. (orig.)

Adding Value to Force Diagrams: Representing Relative Force Magnitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Wendel, Paul

2011-05-01

Nearly all physics instructors recognize the instructional value of force diagrams, and this journal has published several collections of exercises to improve student skill in this area.1-4 Yet some instructors worry that too few students perceive the conceptual and problem-solving utility of force diagrams,4-6 and over recent years a rich variety of approaches has been proposed to add value to force diagrams. Suggestions include strategies for identifying candidate forces,6,7 emphasizing the distinction between "contact" and "noncontact" forces,5,8 and the use of computer-based tutorials.9,10 Instructors have suggested a variety of conventions for constructing force diagrams, including approaches to arrow placement and orientation2,11-13 and proposed notations for locating forces or marking action-reaction force pairs.8,11,14,15

Force and Directional Force Modulation Effects on Accuracy and Variability in Low-Level Pinch Force Tracking.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sangsoo; Spirduso, Waneen; Eakin, Tim; Abraham, Lawrence

2018-01-01

The authors investigated how varying the required low-level forces and the direction of force change affect accuracy and variability of force production in a cyclic isometric pinch force tracking task. Eighteen healthy right-handed adult volunteers performed the tracking task over 3 different force ranges. Root mean square error and coefficient of variation were higher at lower force levels and during minimum reversals compared with maximum reversals. Overall, the thumb showed greater root mean square error and coefficient of variation scores than did the index finger during maximum reversals, but not during minimum reversals. The observed impaired performance during minimum reversals might originate from history-dependent mechanisms of force production and highly coupled 2-digit performance.

Direct measurements of intermolecular forces by chemical force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Vezenov, Dmitri Vitalievich

1999-12-01

Detailed description of intermolecular forces is key to understanding a wide range of phenomena from molecular recognition to materials failure. The unique features of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to make point contact force measurements with ultra high sensitivity and to generate spatial maps of surface topography and forces have been extended to include measurements between well-defined organic molecular groups. Chemical modification of AFM probes with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) was used to make them sensitive to specific molecular interactions. This novel chemical force microscopy (CFM) technique was used to probe forces between different molecular groups in a range of environments (vacuum, organic liquids and aqueous solutions); measure surface energetics on a nanometer scale; determine pK values of the surface acid and base groups; measure forces to stretch and unbind a short synthetic DNA duplex and map the spatial distribution of specific functional groups and their ionization state. Studies of adhesion forces demonstrated the important contribution of hydrogen bonding to interactions between simple organic functionalities. The chemical identity of the tip and substrate surfaces as well as the medium had a dramatic effect on adhesion between model monolayers. A direct correlation between surface free energy and adhesion forces was established. The adhesion between epoxy polymer and model mixed SAMs varied with the amount of hydrogen bonding component in the monolayers. A consistent interpretation of CFM measurements in polar solvents was provided by contact mechanics models and intermolecular force components theory. Forces between tips and surfaces functionalized with SAMs terminating in acid or base groups depended on their ionization state. A novel method of force titration was introduced for highly local characterization of the pK's of surface functional groups. The pH-dependent changes in friction forces were exploited to map spatially the

Tunable electromechanical coupling of a carbon nanotube-reinforced variable cross-section nanoswitch with a piezoelectric effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, W D; Li, Y D; Wang, X

2016-01-01

An analytical method is presented to investigate the pull-in instability of a carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced variable cross-section nanoswitch with a piezoelectric effect. Governing equations with variable coefficients are derived based on the nonlocal beam model with geometrical nonlinearity and are solved using the shooting method. All the nonlinear effects of the piezoelectric voltage, van der Waals force, Casimir force, CNT volume fraction, nonlocal parameters and width ratio on the pull-in instability are investigated. The pull-in electrostatic voltage increases with the increment of nonlocal parameters, which exhibits the significant scale-dependent behavior of nanostructures. The results show that the variable cross-section improves the flexural rigidity of the cantilever-type nanoswitch effectively, and that the piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric layer is utilized to control the electrostatic force induced by the voltage exerted on the elastic layer, owing to piezoelectric materials’ advantages of rapid response, light weight and low energy consumption. (paper)

StringForce

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barendregt, Wolmet; Börjesson, Peter; Eriksson, Eva

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present the forced collaborative interaction game StringForce. StringForce is developed for a special education context to support training of collaboration skills, using readily available technologies and avoiding the creation of a "mobile bubble". In order to play String......Force two or four physically collocated tablets are required. These tablets are connected to form one large shared game area. The game can only be played by collaborating. StringForce extends previous work, both technologically and regarding social-emotional training. We believe String......Force to be an interesting demo for the IDC community, as it intertwines several relevant research fields, such as mobile interaction and collaborative gaming in the special education context....

Fluctuation-induced forces in confined ideal and imperfect Bose gases.

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, H W; Rutkevich, Sergei B

2017-06-01

Fluctuation-induced ("Casimir") forces caused by thermal and quantum fluctuations are investigated for ideal and imperfect Bose gases confined to d-dimensional films of size ∞^{d-1}×D under periodic (P), antiperiodic (A), Dirichlet-Dirichlet (DD), Neumann-Neumann (NN), and Robin (R) boundary conditions (BCs). The full scaling functions Υ_{d}^{BC}(x_{λ}=D/λ_{th},x_{ξ}=D/ξ) of the residual reduced grand potential per area φ_{res,d}^{BC}(T,μ,D)=D^{-(d-1)}Υ_{d}^{BC}(x_{λ},x_{ξ}) are determined for the ideal gas case with these BCs, where λ_{th} and ξ are the thermal de Broglie wavelength and the bulk correlation length, respectively. The associated limiting scaling functions Θ_{d}^{BC}(x_{ξ})≡Υ_{d}^{BC}(∞,x_{ξ}) describing the critical behavior at the bulk condensation transition are shown to agree with those previously determined from a massive free O(2) theory for BC=P,A,DD,DN,NN. For d=3, they are expressed in closed analytical form in terms of polylogarithms. The analogous scaling functions Υ_{d}^{BC}(x_{λ},x_{ξ},c_{1}D,c_{2}D) and Θ_{d}^{R}(x_{ξ},c_{1}D,c_{2}D) under the RBCs (∂_{z}-c_{1})ϕ|_{z=0}=(∂_{z}+c_{2})ϕ|_{z=D}=0 with c_{1}≥0 and c_{2}≥0 are also determined. The corresponding scaling functions Υ_{∞,d}^{P}(x_{λ},x_{ξ}) and Θ_{∞,d}^{P}(x_{ξ}) for the imperfect Bose gas are shown to agree with those of the interacting Bose gas with n internal degrees of freedom in the limit n→∞. Hence, for d=3, Θ_{∞,d}^{P}(x_{ξ}) is known exactly in closed analytic form. To account for the breakdown of translation invariance in the direction perpendicular to the boundary planes implied by free BCs such as DDBCs, a modified imperfect Bose gas model is introduced that corresponds to the limit n→∞ of this interacting Bose gas. Numerically and analytically exact results for the scaling function Θ_{∞,3}^{DD}(x_{ξ}) therefore follow from those of the O(2n)ϕ^{4} model for n→∞.

Dispersion Forces

CERN Document Server

Buhmann, Stefan Yoshi

2012-01-01

In this book, a modern unified theory of dispersion forces on atoms and bodies is presented which covers a broad range of advanced aspects and scenarios. Macroscopic quantum electrodynamics is shown to provide a powerful framework for dispersion forces which allows for discussing general properties like their non-additivity and the relation between microscopic and macroscopic interactions. It is demonstrated how the general results can be used to obtain dispersion forces on atoms in the presence of bodies of various shapes and materials. Starting with a brief recapitulation of volume I, this volume II deals especially with bodies of irregular shapes, universal scaling laws, dynamical forces on excited atoms, enhanced forces in cavity quantum electrodynamics, non-equilibrium forces in thermal environments and quantum friction. The book gives both the specialist and those new to the field a thorough overview over recent results in the field. It provides a toolbox for studying dispersion forces in various contex...

Final Environmental Assessment for the First Air Force Air Operations Center, First Air Force Headquarters/Air Force Forces Center, and Highway 98 Overpass at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

2004-01-01

no comments regarding the Draft Environmental Assessment for the First Air Force Operations Center, First Air Force Headquarters/Air Force Forces...COUNCIL ] No Comment BAY - BAY COUNTY No Final Comments Received ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY UNIT - OFFICE OF POLICY AND BUDGET, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY UNIT NO ...CONSERVATION COMMISSION [ NO COMMENT BY BRIAN BARNETT ON 4/12/04. [STATE - FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE [ No Comment [TRANSPORTATION - FLORIDA DEPARTMENT

Chameleons with Field Dependent Couplings

CERN Document Server

Brax, Philippe; Mota, David F; Nunes, Nelson J; Winther, Hans A

2010-01-01

Certain scalar-tensor theories exhibit the so-called chameleon mechanism, whereby observational signatures of scalar fields are hidden by a combination of self-interactions and interactions with ambient matter. Not all scalar-tensor theories exhibit such a chameleon mechanism, which has been originally found in models with inverse power run-away potentials and field independent couplings to matter. In this paper we investigate field-theories with field-dependent couplings and a power-law potential for the scalar field. We show that the theory indeed is a chameleon field theory. We find the thin-shell solution for a spherical body and investigate the consequences for E\\"ot-Wash experiments, fifth-force searches and Casimir force experiments. Requiring that the scalar-field evades gravitational tests, we find that the coupling is sensitive to a mass-scale which is of order of the Hubble scale today.

Chameleons with field-dependent couplings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brax, Philippe; Bruck, Carsten van de; Mota, David F.; Winther, Hans A.; Nunes, Nelson J.

2010-01-01

Certain scalar-tensor theories exhibit the so-called chameleon mechanism, whereby observational signatures of scalar fields are hidden by a combination of self-interactions and interactions with ambient matter. Not all scalar-tensor theories exhibit such a chameleon mechanism, which has been originally found in models with inverse power runaway potentials and field-independent couplings to matter. In this paper we investigate field theories with field-dependent couplings and a power-law potential for the scalar field. We show that the theory indeed is a chameleon field theory. We find the thin-shell solution for a spherical body and investigate the consequences for Eoet-Wash experiments, fifth-force searches and Casimir-force experiments. Requiring that the scalar field evades gravitational tests, we find that the coupling is sensitive to a mass scale which is of order of the Hubble scale today.

Rigid two-axis MEMS force plate for measuring cellular traction force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Hidetoshi; Jung, Uijin G; Shimoyama, Isao; Kan, Tetsuo; Tsukagoshi, Takuya; Matsumoto, Kiyoshi

2016-01-01

Cellular traction force is one of the important factors for understanding cell behaviors, such as spreading, migration and differentiation. Cells are known to change their behavior according to the mechanical stiffness of the environment. However, the measurement of cell traction forces on a rigid environment has remained difficult. This paper reports a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) force plate that provides a cellular traction force measurement on a rigid substrate. Both the high force sensitivity and high stiffness of the substrate were obtained using piezoresistive sensing elements. The proposed force plate consists of a 70 µ m  ×  15 µ m  ×  5 µ m base as the substrate for cultivating a bovine aortic smooth muscle cell, and the supporting beams with piezoresistors on the sidewall and the surface were used to measure the forces in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The spring constant and force resolution of the fabricated force plate in the horizontal direction were 0.2 N m −1 and less than 0.05 µ N, respectively. The cell traction force was measured, and the traction force increased by approximately 1 µ N over 30 min. These results demonstrate that the proposed force plate is applicable as an effective traction force measurement. (paper)

Automated force controller for amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyagi, Atsushi, E-mail: atsushi.miyagi@inserm.fr, E-mail: simon.scheuring@inserm.fr; Scheuring, Simon, E-mail: atsushi.miyagi@inserm.fr, E-mail: simon.scheuring@inserm.fr [U1006 INSERM, Université Aix-Marseille, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13009 Marseille (France)

2016-05-15

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is widely used in physics, chemistry, and biology to analyze the topography of a sample at nanometer resolution. Controlling precisely the force applied by the AFM tip to the sample is a prerequisite for faithful and reproducible imaging. In amplitude modulation (oscillating) mode AFM, the applied force depends on the free and the setpoint amplitudes of the cantilever oscillation. Therefore, for keeping the applied force constant, not only the setpoint amplitude but also the free amplitude must be kept constant. While the AFM user defines the setpoint amplitude, the free amplitude is typically subject to uncontrollable drift, and hence, unfortunately, the real applied force is permanently drifting during an experiment. This is particularly harmful in biological sciences where increased force destroys the soft biological matter. Here, we have developed a strategy and an electronic circuit that analyzes permanently the free amplitude of oscillation and readjusts the excitation to maintain the free amplitude constant. As a consequence, the real applied force is permanently and automatically controlled with picoNewton precision. With this circuit associated to a high-speed AFM, we illustrate the power of the development through imaging over long-duration and at various forces. The development is applicable for all AFMs and will widen the applicability of AFM to a larger range of samples and to a larger range of (non-specialist) users. Furthermore, from controlled force imaging experiments, the interaction strength between biomolecules can be analyzed.

Imaging stability in force-feedback high-speed atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Byung I.; Boehm, Ryan D.

2013-01-01

We studied the stability of force-feedback high-speed atomic force microscopy (HSAFM) by imaging soft, hard, and biological sample surfaces at various applied forces. The HSAFM images showed sudden topographic variations of streaky fringes with a negative applied force when collected on a soft hydrocarbon film grown on a grating sample, whereas they showed stable topographic features with positive applied forces. The instability of HSAFM images with the negative applied force was explained by the transition between contact and noncontact regimes in the force–distance curve. When the grating surface was cleaned, and thus hydrophilic by removing the hydrocarbon film, enhanced imaging stability was observed at both positive and negative applied forces. The higher adhesive interaction between the tip and the surface explains the improved imaging stability. The effects of imaging rate on the imaging stability were tested on an even softer adhesive Escherichia coli biofilm deposited onto the grating structure. The biofilm and planktonic cell structures in HSAFM images were reproducible within the force deviation less than ∼0.5 nN at the imaging rate up to 0.2 s per frame, suggesting that the force-feedback HSAFM was stable for various imaging speeds in imaging softer adhesive biological samples. - Highlights: ► We investigated the imaging stability of force-feedback HSAFM. ► Stable–unstable imaging transitions rely on applied force and sample hydrophilicity. ► The stable–unstable transitions are found to be independent of imaging rate

Principles and applications of force spectroscopy using atomic force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Kyu; Kim, Woong; Park, Joon Won [Dept. of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

Single-molecule force spectroscopy is a powerful technique for addressing single molecules. Unseen structures and dynamics of molecules have been elucidated using force spectroscopy. Atomic force microscope (AFM)-based force spectroscopy studies have provided picoNewton force resolution, subnanometer spatial resolution, stiffness of substrates, elasticity of polymers, and thermodynamics and kinetics of single-molecular interactions. In addition, AFM has enabled mapping the distribution of individual molecules in situ, and the quantification of single molecules has been made possible without modification or labeling. In this review, we describe the basic principles, sample preparation, data analysis, and applications of AFM-based force spectroscopy and its future.

Three-nucleon forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauer, P.U.

2014-01-01

In this paper, the role of three-nucleon forces in ab initio calculations of nuclear systems is investigated. The difference between genuine and induced many-nucleon forces is emphasized. Induced forces arise in the process of solving the nuclear many-body problem as technical intermediaries toward calculationally converged results. Genuine forces make up the Hamiltonian. They represent the chosen underlying dynamics. The hierarchy of contributions arising from genuine two-, three- and many-nucleon forces is discussed. Signals for the need of the inclusion of genuine three-nucleon forces are studied in nuclear systems, technically best under control, especially in three-nucleon and four-nucleon systems. Genuine three-nucleon forces are important for details in the description of some observables. Their contributions to observables are small on the scale set by two-nucleon forces. (author)

Uncertainties in forces extracted from non-contact atomic force microscopy measurements by fitting of long-range background forces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Sweetman

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In principle, non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM now readily allows for the measurement of forces with sub-nanonewton precision on the atomic scale. In practice, however, the extraction of the often desired ‘short-range’ force from the experimental observable (frequency shift is often far from trivial. In most cases there is a significant contribution to the total tip–sample force due to non-site-specific van der Waals and electrostatic forces. Typically, the contribution from these forces must be removed before the results of the experiment can be successfully interpreted, often by comparison to density functional theory calculations. In this paper we compare the ‘on-minus-off’ method for extracting site-specific forces to a commonly used extrapolation method modelling the long-range forces using a simple power law. By examining the behaviour of the fitting method in the case of two radically different interaction potentials we show that significant uncertainties in the final extracted forces may result from use of the extrapolation method.

Schroedinger representation in quantum field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luescher, M.

1985-01-01

Until recently, the Schroedinger representation in quantum field theory had not received much attention, even more so because there were reasons to believe that in the presence of interactions it did not exist in a mathematically well-defined sense. When Symanzik set out to solve this problem, he was motivated by a special 2-dimensional case, the relativistic string model, in which the Schroedinger wave functionals are the primary objects of physical interest. Also, he knew that if it were possible to demonstrate the existence of the Schroedinger representation, the (then unproven) ultraviolet finiteness of the Casimir force in renormalizable quantum field theories would probably follow. (orig./HSI)

Quantum mechanics on Laakso spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Kauffman, Christopher J.; Kesler, Robert M.; Parshall, Amanda G.; Stamey, Evelyn A.; Steinhurst, Benjamin A.

2012-04-01

We first review the spectrum of the Laplacian operator on a general Laakso space before considering modified Hamiltonians for the infinite square well, parabola, and Coulomb potentials. Additionally, we compute the spectrum for the Laplacian and its multiplicities when certain regions of a Laakso space are compressed or stretched and calculate the Casimir force experienced by two uncharged conducting plates by imposing physically relevant boundary conditions and then analytically regularizing the resulting zeta function. Lastly, we derive a general formula for the spectral zeta function and its derivative for Laakso spaces with strict self-similar structure before listing explicit spectral values for some special cases

On the zero point energy of the electromagnetic field in the presence of material media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, L.A.

1980-12-01

The Van der Waals force between two semi-infinite material media separated by a piece of a third material is calculated. In this calculation, a generalization of some works on this theme is made, considering the radiation field delay effect, and impose no kind of electric and magnetic permeability dependence on the field frequency. The zero point energy of electromagnetic field in the presence of rectangular cavities with perfectly conducting walls (epsilon →i infinite) and/or infinitely permeable walls (μ→ infinite), is also calculated. Two kinds of regularization are made. In view of the results obtained modifications in the Casimir's model for the electron are suggested [pt

Noncontact rack-pinion-rack device as a differential vibration sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Miri, MirFaez; Nasiri, Mojtaba

2010-07-01

We study a nanoscale system composed of one corrugated cylinder (pinion) placed between two corrugated plates (racks). The pinion and racks have no mechanical contact, but are coupled via the lateral Casimir force-one of the most spectacular consequences of quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. The noncontact design of the device could help with the noteworthy wear problem in nanoscale mechanical systems. We consider the case where both racks undergo harmonic lateral motion. We assume that the amplitude, frequency, and phase of one of the racks are known. We show that probing the pinion motion, one can determine the vibration characteristics of the other rack.

Exact solutions to nonlinear symmetron theory: One- and two-mirror systems

Science.gov (United States)

Brax, Philippe; Pitschmann, Mario

2018-03-01

We derive the exact analytical solutions to the symmetron field theory equations in the presence of a one- or two-mirror system. The one-dimensional equations of motion are integrated exactly for both systems and their solutions can be expressed in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions. Surprisingly, in the case of two parallel mirrors, the equations of motion generically provide not a unique solution but a discrete set of solutions with increasing number of nodes and energies. The solutions obtained herein can be applied to q BOUNCE experiments, neutron interferometry and for the calculation of the symmetron-field-induced "Casimir force" in the CANNEX experiment.

Force modulation for improved conductive-mode atomic force microscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koelmans, W.W.; Sebastian, Abu; Despont, Michel; Pozidis, Haris

We present an improved conductive-mode atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) method by modulating the applied loading force on the tip. Unreliable electrical contact and tip wear are the primary challenges for electrical characterization at the nanometer scale. The experiments show that force modulation

Quantum fictitious forces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bialynicki-Birula, I; Cirone, M.A.; Dahl, Jens Peder

2002-01-01

We present Heisenberg's equation of motion for the radial variable of a free non-relativistic particle in D dimensions. The resulting radial force consists of three contributions: (i) the quantum fictitious force which is either attractive or repulsive depending on the number of dimensions, (ii......) a singular quantum force located at the origin, and (iii) the centrifugal force associated with non-vanishing angular momentum. Moreover, we use Heisenberg's uncertainty relation to introduce a lower bound for the kinetic energy of an ensemble of neutral particles. This bound is quadratic in the number...... of atoms and can be traced back to the repulsive quantum fictitious potential. All three forces arise for a free particle: "Force without force"....

Geometrical Dynamics in a Transitioning Superconducting Sphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claycomb J. R.

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Recent theoretical works have concentrated on calculating the Casimir effect in curved spacetime. In this paper we outline the forward problem of metrical variation due to the Casimir effect for spherical geometries. We consider a scalar quantum field inside a hollow superconducting sphere. Metric equations are developed describing the evolution of the scalar curvature after the sphere transitions to the normal state.

Interfacial force measurements using atomic force microscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chu, L.

2018-01-01

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) can not only image the topography of surfaces at atomic resolution, but can also measure accurately the different interaction forces, like repulsive, adhesive and lateral existing between an AFM tip and the sample surface. Based on AFM, various extended techniques have

Force Measurement with a Piezoelectric Cantilever in a Scanning Force Microscope

OpenAIRE

Tansock, J.; Williams, C. C.

1992-01-01

Detection of surface forces between a tip and sample has been demonstrated with a piezoelectric cantilever in a scanning force microscope (SFM). The use of piezoelectric force sensing is particularly advantageous in semiconductor applications where stray light from conventional optical force-sensing methods can significantly modify the local carrier density. Additionally, the piezoelectric sensors are simple, provide good sensitivity to force, and can be batch fabricated. Our piezoelectric fo...

Force reconstruction from tapping mode force microscopy experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payam, Amir F; Martin-Jimenez, Daniel; Garcia, Ricardo

2015-01-01

Fast, accurate, and robust nanomechanical measurements are intensely studied in materials science, applied physics, and molecular biology. Amplitude modulation force microscopy (tapping mode) is the most established nanoscale characterization technique of surfaces for air and liquid environments. However, its quantitative capabilities lag behind its high spatial resolution and robustness. We develop a general method to transform the observables into quantitative force measurements. The force reconstruction algorithm has been deduced on the assumption that the observables (amplitude and phase shift) are slowly varying functions of the tip–surface separation. The accuracy and applicability of the method is validated by numerical simulations and experiments. The method is valid for liquid and air environments, small and large free amplitudes, compliant and rigid materials, and conservative and non-conservative forces. (paper)

Labor Force

Science.gov (United States)

Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 2012

2012-01-01

The labor force is the number of people ages 16 or older who are either working or looking for work. It does not include active-duty military personnel or the institutionalized population, such as prison inmates. Determining the size of the labor force is a way of determining how big the economy can get. The size of the labor force depends on two…

Inferring Interaction Force from Visual Information without Using Physical Force Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Wonjun; Lim, Soo-Chul

2017-10-26

In this paper, we present an interaction force estimation method that uses visual information rather than that of a force sensor. Specifically, we propose a novel deep learning-based method utilizing only sequential images for estimating the interaction force against a target object, where the shape of the object is changed by an external force. The force applied to the target can be estimated by means of the visual shape changes. However, the shape differences in the images are not very clear. To address this problem, we formulate a recurrent neural network-based deep model with fully-connected layers, which models complex temporal dynamics from the visual representations. Extensive evaluations show that the proposed learning models successfully estimate the interaction forces using only the corresponding sequential images, in particular in the case of three objects made of different materials, a sponge, a PET bottle, a human arm, and a tube. The forces predicted by the proposed method are very similar to those measured by force sensors.

Digital force-feedback for protein unfolding experiments using atomic force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Bippes, Christian A.; Janovjak, Harald; Kedrov, Alexej; Muller, Daniel J.

2007-01-01

Since its invention in the 1990s single-molecule force spectroscopy has been increasingly applied to study protein (un-)folding, cell adhesion, and ligand-receptor interactions. In most force spectroscopy studies, the cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM) is separated from a surface at a constant velocity, thus applying an increasing force to folded bio-molecules or bio-molecular bonds. Recently, Fernandez and co-workers introduced the so-called force-clamp technique. Single proteins were subjected to a defined constant force allowing their life times and life time distributions to be directly measured. Up to now, the force-clamping was performed by analogue PID controllers, which require complex additional hardware and might make it difficult to combine the force-feedback with other modes such as constant velocity. These points may be limiting the applicability and versatility of this technique. Here we present a simple, fast, and all-digital (software-based) PID controller that yields response times of a few milliseconds in combination with a commercial AFM. We demonstrate the performance of our feedback loop by force-clamp unfolding of single Ig27 domains of titin and the membrane proteins bacteriorhodopsin (BR) and the sodium/proton antiporter NhaA.

Digital force-feedback for protein unfolding experiments using atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bippes, Christian A; Janovjak, Harald; Kedrov, Alexej; Muller, Daniel J

2007-01-01

Since its invention in the 1990s single-molecule force spectroscopy has been increasingly applied to study protein (un-)folding, cell adhesion, and ligand-receptor interactions. In most force spectroscopy studies, the cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM) is separated from a surface at a constant velocity, thus applying an increasing force to folded bio-molecules or bio-molecular bonds. Recently, Fernandez and co-workers introduced the so-called force-clamp technique. Single proteins were subjected to a defined constant force allowing their life times and life time distributions to be directly measured. Up to now, the force-clamping was performed by analogue PID controllers, which require complex additional hardware and might make it difficult to combine the force-feedback with other modes such as constant velocity. These points may be limiting the applicability and versatility of this technique. Here we present a simple, fast, and all-digital (software-based) PID controller that yields response times of a few milliseconds in combination with a commercial AFM. We demonstrate the performance of our feedback loop by force-clamp unfolding of single Ig27 domains of titin and the membrane proteins bacteriorhodopsin (BR) and the sodium/proton antiporter NhaA

Quantum anticentrifugal force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cirone, M.A.; Schleich, W.P.; Straub, F.; Rzazewski, K.; Wheeler, J.A.

2002-01-01

In a two-dimensional world, a free quantum particle of vanishing angular momentum experiences an attractive force. This force originates from a modification of the classical centrifugal force due to the wave nature of the particle. For positive energies the quantum anticentrifugal force manifests itself in a bunching of the nodes of the energy wave functions towards the origin. For negative energies this force is sufficient to create a bound state in a two-dimensional δ-function potential. In a counterintuitive way, the attractive force pushes the particle away from the location of the δ-function potential. As a consequence, the particle is localized in a band-shaped domain around the origin

The effect of force feedback delay on stiffness perception and grip force modulation during tool-mediated interaction with elastic force fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Leib, Raz; Karniel, Amir; Nisky, Ilana

2015-05-01

During interaction with objects, we form an internal representation of their mechanical properties. This representation is used for perception and for guiding actions, such as in precision grip, where grip force is modulated with the predicted load forces. In this study, we explored the relationship between grip force adjustment and perception of stiffness during interaction with linear elastic force fields. In a forced-choice paradigm, participants probed pairs of virtual force fields while grasping a force sensor that was attached to a haptic device. For each pair, they were asked which field had higher level of stiffness. In half of the pairs, the force feedback of one of the fields was delayed. Participants underestimated the stiffness of the delayed field relatively to the nondelayed, but their grip force characteristics were similar in both conditions. We analyzed the magnitude of the grip force and the lag between the grip force and the load force in the exploratory probing movements within each trial. Right before answering which force field had higher level of stiffness, both magnitude and lag were similar between delayed and nondelayed force fields. These results suggest that an accurate internal representation of environment stiffness and time delay was used for adjusting the grip force. However, this representation did not help in eliminating the bias in stiffness perception. We argue that during performance of a perceptual task that is based on proprioceptive feedback, separate neural mechanisms are responsible for perception and action-related computations in the brain. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

DelPhiForce web server: electrostatic forces and energy calculations and visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lin; Jia, Zhe; Peng, Yunhui; Chakravorty, Arghya; Sun, Lexuan; Alexov, Emil

2017-11-15

Electrostatic force is an essential component of the total force acting between atoms and macromolecules. Therefore, accurate calculations of electrostatic forces are crucial for revealing the mechanisms of many biological processes. We developed a DelPhiForce web server to calculate and visualize the electrostatic forces at molecular level. DelPhiForce web server enables modeling of electrostatic forces on individual atoms, residues, domains and molecules, and generates an output that can be visualized by VMD software. Here we demonstrate the usage of the server for various biological problems including protein-cofactor, domain-domain, protein-protein, protein-DNA and protein-RNA interactions. The DelPhiForce web server is available at: http://compbio.clemson.edu/delphi-force. delphi@clemson.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

78 FR 2996 - Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-15

... Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... Services Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force is independent and nonfederal. Its members are nationally.... The Task Force was convened in 1996 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assess the...

77 FR 56845 - Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-14

... Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... Services Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force is independent and nonfederal. Its members are nationally.... The Task Force was convened in 1996 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assess the...

78 FR 27969 - Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-13

... Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... Services Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force is independent and nonfederal. Its members are nationally.... The Task Force was convened in 1996 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assess the...

The contribution of the electrostatic proximity force to atomic force microscopy with insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanley Czarnecki, W.; Schein, L.B.

2005-01-01

Measurements, using atomic force microscopy, of the force and force derivative on a charged insulating micron sized sphere as a function of gap between the sphere and a conductive plane have revealed attractive forces at finite gaps that are larger than predicted by either van der Waals or conventional electrostatic forces. We suggest that these observations may be due to an electrostatic force that we have identified theoretically and call the proximity force. This proximity force is due to the discrete charges on the surface of the sphere in close proximity to the plane

The contribution of the electrostatic proximity force to atomic force microscopy with insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stanley Czarnecki, W. [Aetas Technology Corporation, P.O. Box 53398, Irvine, CA 92619-3398 (United States); IBM Corporation, 5600 Cottle Rd., Building 13, San Jose, CA 95193 (United States); Schein, L.B. [Aetas Technology Corporation, P.O. Box 53398, Irvine, CA 92619-3398 (United States)]. E-mail: schein@prodigy.net

2005-05-16

Measurements, using atomic force microscopy, of the force and force derivative on a charged insulating micron sized sphere as a function of gap between the sphere and a conductive plane have revealed attractive forces at finite gaps that are larger than predicted by either van der Waals or conventional electrostatic forces. We suggest that these observations may be due to an electrostatic force that we have identified theoretically and call the proximity force. This proximity force is due to the discrete charges on the surface of the sphere in close proximity to the plane.

Minimizing tip-sample forces in jumping mode atomic force microscopy in liquid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ortega-Esteban, A. [Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, C-3, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Horcas, I. [Nanotec Electronica S.L., Centro Empresarial Euronova 3, Ronda de Poniente 12, 28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid (Spain); Hernando-Perez, M. [Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, C-3, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Ares, P. [Nanotec Electronica S.L., Centro Empresarial Euronova 3, Ronda de Poniente 12, 28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid (Spain); Perez-Berna, A.J.; San Martin, C.; Carrascosa, J.L. [Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia (CNB-CSIC), Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Pablo, P.J. de [Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, C-3, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Gomez-Herrero, J., E-mail: julio.gomez@uam.es [Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, C-3, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain)

2012-03-15

Control and minimization of tip-sample interaction forces are imperative tasks to maximize the performance of atomic force microscopy. In particular, when imaging soft biological matter in liquids, the cantilever dragging force prevents identification of the tip-sample mechanical contact, resulting in deleterious interaction with the specimen. In this work we present an improved jumping mode procedure that allows detecting the tip-sample contact with high accuracy, thus minimizing the scanning forces ({approx}100 pN) during the approach cycles. To illustrate this method we report images of human adenovirus and T7 bacteriophage particles which are prone to uncontrolled modifications when using conventional jumping mode. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Improvement in atomic force microscopy in buffer solution. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Peak force detection. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Subtracting the cantilever dragging force. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Forces in the 100 pN range. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Imaging of delicate viruses with atomic force microscopy.

Force-activatable biosensor enables single platelet force mapping directly by fluorescence imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yongliang; LeVine, Dana N; Gannon, Margaret; Zhao, Yuanchang; Sarkar, Anwesha; Hoch, Bailey; Wang, Xuefeng

2018-02-15

Integrin-transmitted cellular forces are critical for platelet adhesion, activation, aggregation and contraction during hemostasis and thrombosis. Measuring and mapping single platelet forces are desired in both research and clinical applications. Conventional force-to-strain based cell traction force microscopies have low resolution which is not ideal for cellular force mapping in small platelets. To enable platelet force mapping with submicron resolution, we developed a force-activatable biosensor named integrative tension sensor (ITS) which directly converts molecular tensions to fluorescent signals, therefore enabling cellular force mapping directly by fluorescence imaging. With ITS, we mapped cellular forces in single platelets at 0.4µm resolution. We found that platelet force distribution has strong polarization which is sensitive to treatment with the anti-platelet drug tirofiban, suggesting that the ITS force map can report anti-platelet drug efficacy. The ITS also calibrated integrin molecular tensions in platelets and revealed two distinct tension levels: 12-54 piconewton (nominal values) tensions generated during platelet adhesion and tensions above 54 piconewton generated during platelet contraction. Overall, the ITS is a powerful biosensor for the study of platelet mechanobiology, and holds great potential in antithrombotic drug development and assessing platelet activity in health and disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concurrent Validity of a Portable Force Plate Using Vertical Jump Force-Time Characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lake, Jason; Mundy, Peter; Comfort, Paul; McMahon, John J; Suchomel, Timothy J; Carden, Patrick

2018-05-29

This study examined concurrent validity of countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) reactive strength index modified and force-time characteristics recorded using a one dimensional portable and laboratory force plate system. Twenty-eight men performed bilateral CMJs on two portable force plates placed on top of two in-ground force plates, both recording vertical ground reaction force at 1000 Hz. Time to take-off, jump height, reactive strength index modified, braking and propulsion impulse, mean net force, and duration were calculated from the vertical force from both force plate systems. Results from both systems were highly correlated (r≥.99). There were small (dbraking impulse, braking mean net force, propulsion impulse, and propulsion mean net force (psystem (95% CL: .9% to 2.5%), indicating very good agreement across all of the dependent variables. The largest limits of agreement belonged to jump height (2.1%), time to take-off (3.4%), and reactive strength index modified (3.8%). The portable force plate system provides a valid method of obtaining reactive strength measures, and several underpinning force-time variables, from unloaded CMJ and practitioners can use both force plates interchangeably.

Forces in general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ridgely, Charles T

2010-01-01

Many textbooks dealing with general relativity do not demonstrate the derivation of forces in enough detail. The analyses presented herein demonstrate straightforward methods for computing forces by way of general relativity. Covariant divergence of the stress-energy-momentum tensor is used to derive a general expression of the force experienced by an observer in general coordinates. The general force is then applied to the local co-moving coordinate system of a uniformly accelerating observer, leading to an expression of the inertial force experienced by the observer. Next, applying the general force in Schwarzschild coordinates is shown to lead to familiar expressions of the gravitational force. As a more complex demonstration, the general force is applied to an observer in Boyer-Lindquist coordinates near a rotating, Kerr black hole. It is then shown that when the angular momentum of the black hole goes to zero, the force on the observer reduces to the force on an observer held stationary in Schwarzschild coordinates. As a final consideration, the force on an observer moving in rotating coordinates is derived. Expressing the force in terms of Christoffel symbols in rotating coordinates leads to familiar expressions of the centrifugal and Coriolis forces on the observer. It is envisioned that the techniques presented herein will be most useful to graduate level students, as well as those undergraduate students having experience with general relativity and tensor analysis.

Understanding zero-point energy in the context of classical electromagnetism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, Timothy H

2016-01-01

Today’s textbooks of electromagnetism give the particular solution to Maxwell’s equations involving the integral over the charge and current sources at retarded times. However, the texts fail to emphasise that the choice of the incoming-wave boundary conditions corresponding to solutions of the homogeneous Maxwell equations must be made based upon experiment. Here we discuss the role of these incoming-wave boundary conditions for an experimenter with a hypothetical charged harmonic oscillator as his equipment. We describe the observations of the experimenter when located near a radio station or immersed in thermal radiation at temperature T . The classical physicists at the end of the 19th century chose the incoming-wave boundary conditions for the homogeneous Maxwell equations based upon the experimental observations of Lummer and Pringsheim which measured only the thermal radiation which exceeded the random radiation surrounding their measuring equipment; the physicists concluded that they could take the homogeneous solutions to vanish at zero temperature. Today at the beginning of the 21st century, classical physicists must choose the incoming-wave boundary conditions for the homogeneous Maxell equations to correspond to the full radiation spectrum revealed by the recent Casimir force measurements which detect all the radiation surrounding conducting parallel plates, including the radiation absorbed and emitted by the plates themselves. The random classical radiation spectrum revealed by the Casimir force measurements includes electromagnetic zero-point radiation, which is missing from the spectrum measured by Lummer and Pringsheim, and which cannot be eliminated by going to zero temperature. This zero-point radiation will lead to zero-point energy for all systems which have electromagnetic interactions. Thus the choice of the incoming-wave boundary conditions on the homogeneous Maxwell equations is intimately related to the ideas of zero-point energy and

Fluctuation-induced forces in confined ideal and imperfect Bose gases

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, H. W.; Rutkevich, Sergei B.

2017-06-01

Fluctuation-induced ("Casimir") forces caused by thermal and quantum fluctuations are investigated for ideal and imperfect Bose gases confined to d -dimensional films of size ∞d -1×D under periodic (P), antiperiodic (A), Dirichlet-Dirichlet (DD), Neumann-Neumann (NN), and Robin (R) boundary conditions (BCs). The full scaling functions ΥdBC(xλ=D /λth ,xξ=D /ξ ) of the residual reduced grand potential per area φres,dBC(T ,μ ,D ) =D-(d -1 )ΥdBC(xλ,xξ) are determined for the ideal gas case with these BCs, where λth and ξ are the thermal de Broglie wavelength and the bulk correlation length, respectively. The associated limiting scaling functions ΘdBC(xξ) ≡ΥdBC(∞ ,xξ) describing the critical behavior at the bulk condensation transition are shown to agree with those previously determined from a massive free O (2 ) theory for BC=P,A,DD,DN,NN . For d =3 , they are expressed in closed analytical form in terms of polylogarithms. The analogous scaling functions ΥdBC(xλ,xξ,c1D ,c2D ) and ΘdR(xξ,c1D ,c2D ) under the RBCs (∂z-c1) ϕ |z=0=(∂z+c2) ϕ | z =D=0 with c1≥0 and c2≥0 are also determined. The corresponding scaling functions Υ∞,d P(xλ,xξ) and Θ∞,d P(xξ) for the imperfect Bose gas are shown to agree with those of the interacting Bose gas with n internal degrees of freedom in the limit n →∞ . Hence, for d =3 , Θ∞,d P(xξ) is known exactly in closed analytic form. To account for the breakdown of translation invariance in the direction perpendicular to the boundary planes implied by free BCs such as DDBCs, a modified imperfect Bose gas model is introduced that corresponds to the limit n →∞ of this interacting Bose gas. Numerically and analytically exact results for the scaling function Θ∞,3 DD(xξ) therefore follow from those of the O (2 n ) ϕ4 model for n →∞ .

78 FR 59939 - Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-30

... Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... September 17, 2013, announcing the next meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force... the Task Force to consider the findings of systematic reviews and issue findings and recommendations...

Acoustic force spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sitters, G.; Kamsma, D.; Thalhammer, G.; Ritsch-Marte, M.; Peterman, E.J.G.; Wuite, G.J.L.

2015-01-01

Force spectroscopy has become an indispensable tool to unravel the structural and mechanochemical properties of biomolecules. Here we extend the force spectroscopy toolbox with an acoustic manipulation device that can exert forces from subpiconewtons to hundreds of piconewtons on thousands of

Handbook of force transducers

CERN Document Server

Stefanescu, Dan Mihai

2011-01-01

Part I introduces the basic ""Principles and Methods of Force Measurement"" acording to a classification into a dozen of force transducers types: resistive, inductive, capacitive, piezoelectric, electromagnetic, electrodynamic, magnetoelastic, galvanomagnetic (Hall-effect), vibrating wires, (micro)resonators, acoustic and gyroscopic. Two special chapters refer to force balance techniques and to combined methods in force measurement. Part II discusses the ""(Strain Gauge) Force Transducers Components"", evolving from the classical force transducer to the digital / intelligent one, with the inco

12th Air Force > Home

Science.gov (United States)

Force AOR Travel Info News prevnext Slide show 76,410 pounds of food delivered to Haiti 12th Air Force the French Air Force, Colombian Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, Belgian Air Force, Brazilian Air Force

Development of a commercially viable piezoelectric force sensor system for static force measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jun; Luo, Xinwei; Liu, Jingcheng; Li, Min; Qin, Lan

2017-09-01

A compensation method for measuring static force with a commercial piezoelectric force sensor is proposed to disprove the theory that piezoelectric sensors and generators can only operate under dynamic force. After studying the model of the piezoelectric force sensor measurement system, the principle of static force measurement using a piezoelectric material or piezoelectric force sensor is analyzed. Then, the distribution law of the decay time constant of the measurement system and the variation law of the measurement system’s output are studied, and a compensation method based on the time interval threshold Δ t and attenuation threshold Δ {{u}th} is proposed. By calibrating the system and considering the influences of the environment and the hardware, a suitable Δ {{u}th} value is determined, and the system’s output attenuation is compensated based on the Δ {{u}th} value to realize the measurement. Finally, a static force measurement system with a piezoelectric force sensor is developed based on the compensation method. The experimental results confirm the successful development of a simple compensation method for static force measurement with a commercial piezoelectric force sensor. In addition, it is established that, contrary to the current perception, a piezoelectric force sensor system can be used to measure static force through further calibration.

Minimizing pulling geometry errors in atomic force microscope single molecule force spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera, Monica; Lee, Whasil; Ke, Changhong; Marszalek, Piotr E; Cole, Daniel G; Clark, Robert L

2008-10-01

In atomic force microscopy-based single molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS), it is assumed that the pulling angle is negligible and that the force applied to the molecule is equivalent to the force measured by the instrument. Recent studies, however, have indicated that the pulling geometry errors can drastically alter the measured force-extension relationship of molecules. Here we describe a software-based alignment method that repositions the cantilever such that it is located directly above the molecule's substrate attachment site. By aligning the applied force with the measurement axis, the molecule is no longer undergoing combined loading, and the full force can be measured by the cantilever. Simulations and experimental results verify the ability of the alignment program to minimize pulling geometry errors in AFM-SMFS studies.

Force sharing and other collaborative strategies in a dyadic force perception task.

Science.gov (United States)

Tatti, Fabio; Baud-Bovy, Gabriel

2018-01-01

When several persons perform a physical task jointly, such as transporting an object together, the interaction force that each person experiences is the sum of the forces applied by all other persons on the same object. Therefore, there is a fundamental ambiguity about the origin of the force that each person experiences. This study investigated the ability of a dyad (two persons) to identify the direction of a small force produced by a haptic device and applied to a jointly held object. In this particular task, the dyad might split the force produced by the haptic device (the external force) in an infinite number of ways, depending on how the two partners interacted physically. A major objective of this study was to understand how the two partners coordinated their action to perceive the direction of the third force that was applied to the jointly held object. This study included a condition where each participant responded independently and another one where the two participants had to agree upon a single negotiated response. The results showed a broad range of behaviors. In general, the external force was not split in a way that would maximize the joint performance. In fact, the external force was often split very unequally, leaving one person without information about the external force. However, the performance was better than expected in this case, which led to the discovery of an unanticipated strategy whereby the person who took all the force transmitted this information to the partner by moving the jointly held object. When the dyad could negotiate the response, we found that the participant with less force information tended to switch his or her response more often.

Stable dynamics in forced systems with sufficiently high/low forcing frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartuccelli, M; Gentile, G; Wright, J A

2016-08-01

We consider parametrically forced Hamiltonian systems with one-and-a-half degrees of freedom and study the stability of the dynamics when the frequency of the forcing is relatively high or low. We show that, provided the frequency is sufficiently high, Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser (KAM) theorem may be applied even when the forcing amplitude is far away from the perturbation regime. A similar result is obtained for sufficiently low frequency, but in that case we need the amplitude of the forcing to be not too large; however, we are still able to consider amplitudes which are outside of the perturbation regime. In addition, we find numerically that the dynamics may be stable even when the forcing amplitude is very large, well beyond the range of validity of the analytical results, provided the frequency of the forcing is taken correspondingly low.

High Cable Forces Deteriorate Pinch Force Control in Voluntary-Closing Body-Powered Prostheses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mona Hichert

Full Text Available It is generally asserted that reliable and intuitive control of upper-limb prostheses requires adequate feedback of prosthetic finger positions and pinch forces applied to objects. Body-powered prostheses (BPPs provide the user with direct proprioceptive feedback. Currently available BPPs often require high cable operation forces, which complicates control of the forces at the terminal device. The aim of this study is to quantify the influence of high cable forces on object manipulation with voluntary-closing prostheses.Able-bodied male subjects were fitted with a bypass-prosthesis with low and high cable force settings for the prehensor. Subjects were requested to grasp and transfer a collapsible object as fast as they could without dropping or breaking it. The object had a low and a high breaking force setting.Subjects conducted significantly more successful manipulations with the low cable force setting, both for the low (33% more and high (50% object's breaking force. The time to complete the task was not different between settings during successful manipulation trials.High cable forces lead to reduced pinch force control during object manipulation. This implies that low cable operation forces should be a key design requirement for voluntary-closing BPPs.

Malaysia and forced migration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arzura Idris

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the phenomenon of “forced migration” in Malaysia. It examines the nature of forced migration, the challenges faced by Malaysia, the policy responses and their impact on the country and upon the forced migrants. It considers forced migration as an event hosting multifaceted issues related and relevant to forced migrants and suggests that Malaysia has been preoccupied with the issue of forced migration movements. This is largely seen in various responses invoked from Malaysia due to “south-south forced migration movements.” These responses are, however, inadequate in terms of commitment to the international refugee regime. While Malaysia did respond to economic and migration challenges, the paper asserts that such efforts are futile if she ignores issues critical to forced migrants.

Quantum dissipative effects in moving imperfect mirrors: Sidewise and normal motions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fosco, Cesar D.; Lombardo, Fernando C.; Mazzitelli, Francisco D.

2011-01-01

We extend our previous work on the functional approach to the dynamical Casimir effect, to compute dissipative effects due to the relative motion of two flat, parallel, imperfect mirrors in vacuum. The interaction between the internal degrees of freedom of the mirrors and the vacuum field is modeled with a nonlocal term in the vacuum field action. We consider two different situations: either the motion is 'normal', i.e., the mirrors advance or recede changing the distance a(t) between them; or it is 'parallel', namely, a remains constant, but there is a relative sliding motion of the mirrors' planes. For the latter, we show explicitly that there is a nonvanishing frictional force, even for a constant shifting speed.

Single-molecule force spectroscopy: optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers and atomic force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Neuman, Keir C.; Nagy, Attila

2012-01-01

Single-molecule force spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful tool to investigate the forces and motions associated with biological molecules and enzymatic activity. The most common force spectroscopy techniques are optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers and atomic force microscopy. These techniques are described and illustrated with examples highlighting current capabilities and limitations. PMID:18511917

Force sharing and other collaborative strategies in a dyadic force perception task

Science.gov (United States)

Tatti, Fabio

2018-01-01

When several persons perform a physical task jointly, such as transporting an object together, the interaction force that each person experiences is the sum of the forces applied by all other persons on the same object. Therefore, there is a fundamental ambiguity about the origin of the force that each person experiences. This study investigated the ability of a dyad (two persons) to identify the direction of a small force produced by a haptic device and applied to a jointly held object. In this particular task, the dyad might split the force produced by the haptic device (the external force) in an infinite number of ways, depending on how the two partners interacted physically. A major objective of this study was to understand how the two partners coordinated their action to perceive the direction of the third force that was applied to the jointly held object. This study included a condition where each participant responded independently and another one where the two participants had to agree upon a single negotiated response. The results showed a broad range of behaviors. In general, the external force was not split in a way that would maximize the joint performance. In fact, the external force was often split very unequally, leaving one person without information about the external force. However, the performance was better than expected in this case, which led to the discovery of an unanticipated strategy whereby the person who took all the force transmitted this information to the partner by moving the jointly held object. When the dyad could negotiate the response, we found that the participant with less force information tended to switch his or her response more often. PMID:29474433

The pressure exerted by a confined ideal gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pang Hai; Dai Wusheng; Xie Mi

2011-01-01

In this paper, we study the pressure exerted by a confined ideal gas on the container boundary and we introduce a surface force in gases. First, the general expression for the local surface pressure tensor is obtained. We find, by examples, that the pressure vanishes at the edges of a box, peaks at the middle of the surface and its magnitude for different statistics satisfies p Fermi > p classical > p Bose on every boundary point. Then, the relation between the surface pressure tensor and generalized forces is studied. Based on the relation, we find that a confined ideal gas can exert forces whose effect is to reduce the total surface area of the boundary of an incompressible object. The force provides mechanisms for several mechanical effects. (1) The force contributes to the adhesion of two thin films in contact with each other. We derive an expression for the adhesion force between two square sheets, estimate its magnitude, and also give a method for distinguishing it from other adhesion forces. (2) The force can lead to the recoiling of a DNA-like column. We study the recoiling process using a simple model and find a deviation from the result given in the thermodynamic limit, which is in accordance with experiments. (3) An open container immersed in a gas can be compressed by this force like the Casimir effect. We discuss the effect for various geometries. (paper)

Hydrostatic force sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, M.S.; Stoughton, R.S.; Kazerooni, H.

1994-08-01

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental investigation of a new kind of force sensor which detects forces by measuring an induced pressure change in a material of large Poisson's ratio. In this investigation we develop mathematical expressions for the sensor's sensitivity and bandwidth, and show that its sensitivity can be much larger and its bandwidth is usually smaller than those of existing strain-gage-type sensors. This force sensor is well-suited for measuring large but slowly varying forces. It can be installed in a space smaller than that required by existing sensors

Crossflow force transducer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulcahy, T.M.

1982-05-01

A force transducer for measuring lift and drag coefficients for a circular cylinder in turbulent water flow is presented. In addition to describing the actual design and construction of the strain-gauged force- ring based transducer, requirements for obtained valid fluid force test data are discussed, and pertinent flow test experience is related

Different forces

CERN Multimedia

1982-01-01

The different forces, together with a pictorial analogy of how the exchange of particles works. The table lists the relative strength of the couplings, the quanta associated with the force fields and the bodies or phenomena in which they have a dominant role.

Simulation of a force on force exercise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terhune, R.; Van Slyke, D.; Sheppard, T.; Brandrup, M.

1988-01-01

The Security Exercise Evaluation System (SEES) is under development for use in planning Force on Force exercises and as an aid in post-exercise evaluation. This study is part of the development cycle where the simulation results are compared to field data to provide guidance for further development of the model. SEES is an event-driven stochastic computer program simulating individual movement and combat within an urban terrain environment. The simulator models the physics of movement, line of sight, and weapon effects. It relies on the controllers to provide all knowledge of security tactics, which are entered by the controllers during the simulation using interactive color graphic workstations. They are able to develop, modify and implement plans promptly as the simulator maintains real time. This paper reports on how SEES will be used to develop an intrusion plan, test the security response tactics and develop observer logistics. A Force on Force field exercise will then be executed to follow the plan with observations recorded. An analysis is made by first comparing the plan and events of the simulation with the field exercise, modifying the simulation plan to match the actual field exercise, and then running the simulation to develop a distribution of possible outcomes

Singular Poisson tensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Littlejohn, R.G.

1982-01-01

The Hamiltonian structures discovered by Morrison and Greene for various fluid equations were obtained by guessing a Hamiltonian and a suitable Poisson bracket formula, expressed in terms of noncanonical (but physical) coordinates. In general, such a procedure for obtaining a Hamiltonian system does not produce a Hamiltonian phase space in the usual sense (a symplectic manifold), but rather a family of symplectic manifolds. To state the matter in terms of a system with a finite number of degrees of freedom, the family of symplectic manifolds is parametrized by a set of Casimir functions, which are characterized by having vanishing Poisson brackets with all other functions. The number of independent Casimir functions is the corank of the Poisson tensor J/sup ij/, the components of which are the Poisson brackets of the coordinates among themselves. Thus, these Casimir functions exist only when the Poisson tensor is singular

How complete is the classification of W-symmetries?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eholzer, W.; Honecker, A.; Huebel, R.

1993-02-01

In 2D conformal quantum field theory, we continue a systematic study of W-algebras with two and three generators and their highest weight representations focussing mainly of rational models. We review the known facts about rational models of W(2,σ)-algebras, in particular those models that are not related to some generically existing algebra. However, our new rational models of W-algebras with two generators all belong to one of the known series. The majority of W-algebras with three generators-including the new ones constructed in this letter- can be explained as subalgebras of Casimir algebras. Nonetheless, for one solution of W(2,4,6) we reveal some features that do not fit into the pattern of Casimir algebras or orbifolds thereof. This shows that even a classification of all Casimir algebras (or Toda field theories) will probably fail to classify all rational conformal field theories. (orig.)

Influence of post-stroke spasticity on EMG-force coupling and force steadiness in biceps brachii.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlyle, Jennilee K; Mochizuki, George

2018-02-01

Individuals with spasticity after stroke experience a decrease in force steadiness which can impact function. Alterations in the strength of EMG-force coupling may contribute to the reduction in force steadiness observed in spasticity. The aim was to determine the extent to which force steadiness and EMG-force coupling is affected by post-stroke spasticity. This cross-sectional study involved individuals with upper limb spasticity after stroke. Participants were required to generate and maintain isometric contractions of the elbow flexors at varying force levels. Coefficient of variation of force, absolute force, EMG-force cross-correlation function peak and peak latency was measured from both limbs with surface electromyography and isometric dynamometry. Statistically significant differences were observed between the affected and less affected limbs for all outcome measures. Significant main effects of force level were also observed. Force steadiness was not statistically significantly correlated with EMG-force coupling; however, both force steadiness and absolute force were associated with the level of impairment as measured by the Chedoke McMaster Stroke Assessment Scale. Spasticity after stroke uncouples the relationship between EMG and force and is associated with reduced force steadiness during isometric contractions; however, these features of control are not associated in individuals with spasticity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Force Reproduction Error Depends on Force Level, whereas the Position Reproduction Error Does Not

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Onneweer, B.; Mugge, W.; Schouten, Alfred Christiaan

2016-01-01

When reproducing a previously perceived force or position humans make systematic errors. This study determined the effect of force level on force and position reproduction, when both target and reproduction force are self-generated with the same hand. Subjects performed force reproduction tasks at

The original Ampere force and Biot-Savart and Lorentz forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pappas, P.T.

1983-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a very simple experiment, which favours the original Ampere force and unambiguously disproves the Biot-Savart force of relativity, or its approximation in a covariant relativistic form, namely the Lorentz force. This experiment with its extra degree of freedom has the advantage over the many other similar ones, including Ampere's original experiment, which have been performed in the past and recently by Graneau, of giving results which are both qualitative and quantitative, as well as unambiguous. Due to the strong association of the Biot-Savart and Lorentz force to relativistic theories, the experiment can be also considered as limiting the generality of these theories

Bi-Force

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Peng; Speicher, Nora K; Röttger, Richard

2014-01-01

of pairwise similarities. We first evaluated the power of Bi-Force to solve dedicated bicluster editing problems by comparing Bi-Force with two existing algorithms in the BiCluE software package. We then followed a biclustering evaluation protocol in a recent review paper from Eren et al. (2013) (A...... comparative analysis of biclustering algorithms for gene expressiondata. Brief. Bioinform., 14:279-292.) and compared Bi-Force against eight existing tools: FABIA, QUBIC, Cheng and Church, Plaid, BiMax, Spectral, xMOTIFs and ISA. To this end, a suite of synthetic datasets as well as nine large gene expression...

78 FR 63208 - UPDATE-Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-23

... of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and... Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force). The in-person Task Force meeting is being replaced by... CDC's ability to complete the necessary scientific and logistical support for the meeting. The Task...

Interrelation between striction forces in dielectrics and optically induced forces in transparent media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torchigin, V P; Torchigin, A V

2012-01-01

Optically induced forces applied to a transparent optical medium, which is inserted in a closed plane optical resonator, are calculated by means of an analysis of the changes in the eigenfrequency and energy stored in the resonator at various positions of the medium. These forces are compared with striction forces applied to the medium considered as a dielectric placed in an alternate electrical field within the resonator. It is shown that the optically induced forces are equal to the striction forces. The results of using the classical formula for striction forces in electrostatics are considered. (paper)

The Past, Present, and Future of the Air Force's Future Total Force

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Duffy, Dennis P

2004-01-01

This project examines the history of the Total Force policy since its inception in 1970 through its implementation today in an effort to determine a future direction for the Air Force's Future Total Force initiative...

The role of virtual photons in nanoscale photonics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrews, David L.; Bradshaw, David S. [School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich (United Kingdom)

2014-04-15

The fundamental theory of processes and properties associated with nanoscale photonics should properly account for the quantum nature of both the matter and the radiation field. A familiar example is the Casimir force, whose significant role in nanoelectromechanical systems is widely recognised; the correct representation invokes the creation of short-lived virtual photons from the vacuum. In fact, there is an extensive range of nanophotonic interactions in which virtual photon exchange plays a vital role, mediating the coupling between particles. This review surveys recent theory and applications, also exhibiting novel insights into key electrodynamic mechanisms. Examples are numerous and include: laser-induced inter-particle forces known as optical binding; non-parametric frequency-conversion processes especially in rare-earth doped materials; light-harvesting polymer materials that involve electronic energy transfer between their constituent chromophores. An assessment of these and the latest prospective applications concludes with a view on future directions of research. (copyright 2014 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Influence of surface effects on the pull-in instability of NEMS electrostatic switches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Jianming Bryan; Jiang Liying; Asokanthan, Samuel F, E-mail: lyjiang@eng.uwo.ca, E-mail: sasokanthan@eng.uwo.ca [Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B9 (Canada)

2010-12-17

The influence of surface effects, including residual surface stress and surface elasticity, on the pull-in instability of electrostatic switches in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) is studied using an Euler-Bernoulli beam model. This model is inherently nonlinear due to the driving electrostatic force and Casimir force which become dominant at the nanoscale. Since no exact solutions are available for the resulting nonlinear differential equation, He's homotopy perturbation method (HPM) is used to get the approximate analytical solutions to the static bending of NEMS switches, which are validated by numerical solutions of the finite difference method (FDM). The results demonstrate that surface effects play a significant role in the selection of basic design parameters of NEMS switches, such as static deflection, pull-in voltage and detachment length. Surface effects on low-voltage actuation windows are also characterized for these switches. The present study is envisaged to provide useful insights for the design of NEMS switches.

Role of attractive forces in tapping tip force microscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kyhle, Anders; Sørensen, Alexis Hammer; Bohr, Jakob

1997-01-01

We present experimental and numerical results demonstrating the drastic influence of attractive forces on the behaviour of the atomic force microscope when operated in the resonant tapping tip mode in an ambient environment. It is often assumed that tapping is related to repulsive interaction...

Surface forces studied with colloidal probe atomic force microscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Giesbers, M.

2001-01-01

Forces between surfaces are a determining factor for the performance of natural as well as synthetic colloidal systems, and play a crucial role in industrial production processes. Measuring these forces is a scientific and experimental challenge and over the years several techniques have

A force-sensing surgical tool with a proximally located force/torque sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwalb, W; Shirinzadeh, B; Smith, J

2017-03-01

Robotic surgery has seen a rapid increase in popularity in the last few decades because advantages such as increased accuracy and dexterity can be realized. These systems still lack force-feedback, where such a capability is believed to be beneficial to the surgeon and can improve safety. In this paper a force-feedback enabled surgical robotic system is described in which the developed force-sensing surgical tool is discussed in detail. The developed surgical tool makes use of a proximally located force/torque sensor, which, in contrast to a distally located sensor, requires no miniaturization or sterilizability. Experimental results are presented, and indicate high force sensing accuracies with errors <0.09 N. It is shown that developing a force-sensing surgical tool utilizing a proximally located force/torque sensor is feasible, where a tool outer diameter of 12 mm can be achieved. For future work it is desired to decrease the current tool outer diameter to 10 mm. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Method for lateral force calibration in atomic force microscope using MEMS microforce sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Dziekoński, Cezary; Dera, Wojciech; Jarząbek, Dariusz M

2017-11-01

In this paper we present a simple and direct method for the lateral force calibration constant determination. Our procedure does not require any knowledge about material or geometrical parameters of an investigated cantilever. We apply a commercially available microforce sensor with advanced electronics for direct measurement of the friction force applied by the cantilever's tip to a flat surface of the microforce sensor measuring beam. Due to the third law of dynamics, the friction force of the equal value tilts the AFM cantilever. Therefore, torsional (lateral force) signal is compared with the signal from the microforce sensor and the lateral force calibration constant is determined. The method is easy to perform and could be widely used for the lateral force calibration constant determination in many types of atomic force microscopes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The force pyramid: a spatial analysis of force application during virtual reality brain tumor resection.

Science.gov (United States)

Azarnoush, Hamed; Siar, Samaneh; Sawaya, Robin; Zhrani, Gmaan Al; Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Alotaibi, Fahad Eid; Bugdadi, Abdulgadir; Bajunaid, Khalid; Marwa, Ibrahim; Sabbagh, Abdulrahman Jafar; Del Maestro, Rolando F

2017-07-01

OBJECTIVE Virtual reality simulators allow development of novel methods to analyze neurosurgical performance. The concept of a force pyramid is introduced as a Tier 3 metric with the ability to provide visual and spatial analysis of 3D force application by any instrument used during simulated tumor resection. This study was designed to answer 3 questions: 1) Do study groups have distinct force pyramids? 2) Do handedness and ergonomics influence force pyramid structure? 3) Are force pyramids dependent on the visual and haptic characteristics of simulated tumors? METHODS Using a virtual reality simulator, NeuroVR (formerly NeuroTouch), ultrasonic aspirator force application was continually assessed during resection of simulated brain tumors by neurosurgeons, residents, and medical students. The participants performed simulated resections of 18 simulated brain tumors with different visual and haptic characteristics. The raw data, namely, coordinates of the instrument tip as well as contact force values, were collected by the simulator. To provide a visual and qualitative spatial analysis of forces, the authors created a graph, called a force pyramid, representing force sum along the z-coordinate for different xy coordinates of the tool tip. RESULTS Sixteen neurosurgeons, 15 residents, and 84 medical students participated in the study. Neurosurgeon, resident and medical student groups displayed easily distinguishable 3D "force pyramid fingerprints." Neurosurgeons had the lowest force pyramids, indicating application of the lowest forces, followed by resident and medical student groups. Handedness, ergonomics, and visual and haptic tumor characteristics resulted in distinct well-defined 3D force pyramid patterns. CONCLUSIONS Force pyramid fingerprints provide 3D spatial assessment displays of instrument force application during simulated tumor resection. Neurosurgeon force utilization and ergonomic data form a basis for understanding and modulating resident force

Force-Induced Rupture of a DNA Duplex: From Fundamentals to Force Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosayebi, Majid; Louis, Ard A; Doye, Jonathan P K; Ouldridge, Thomas E

2015-12-22

The rupture of double-stranded DNA under stress is a key process in biophysics and nanotechnology. In this article, we consider the shear-induced rupture of short DNA duplexes, a system that has been given new importance by recently designed force sensors and nanotechnological devices. We argue that rupture must be understood as an activated process, where the duplex state is metastable and the strands will separate in a finite time that depends on the duplex length and the force applied. Thus, the critical shearing force required to rupture a duplex depends strongly on the time scale of observation. We use simple models of DNA to show that this approach naturally captures the observed dependence of the force required to rupture a duplex within a given time on duplex length. In particular, this critical force is zero for the shortest duplexes, before rising sharply and then plateauing in the long length limit. The prevailing approach, based on identifying when the presence of each additional base pair within the duplex is thermodynamically unfavorable rather than allowing for metastability, does not predict a time-scale-dependent critical force and does not naturally incorporate a critical force of zero for the shortest duplexes. We demonstrate that our findings have important consequences for the behavior of a new force-sensing nanodevice, which operates in a mixed mode that interpolates between shearing and unzipping. At a fixed time scale and duplex length, the critical force exhibits a sigmoidal dependence on the fraction of the duplex that is subject to shearing.

Students’ understanding of forces: Force diagrams on horizontal and inclined plane

Science.gov (United States)

Sirait, J.; Hamdani; Mursyid, S.

2018-03-01

This study aims to analyse students’ difficulties in understanding force diagrams on horizontal surfaces and inclined planes. Physics education students (pre-service physics teachers) of Tanjungpura University, who had completed a Basic Physics course, took a Force concept test which has six questions covering three concepts: an object at rest, an object moving at constant speed, and an object moving at constant acceleration both on a horizontal surface and on an inclined plane. The test is in a multiple-choice format. It examines the ability of students to select appropriate force diagrams depending on the context. The results show that 44% of students have difficulties in solving the test (these students only could solve one or two items out of six items). About 50% of students faced difficulties finding the correct diagram of an object when it has constant speed and acceleration in both contexts. In general, students could only correctly identify 48% of the force diagrams on the test. The most difficult task for the students in terms was identifying the force diagram representing forces exerted on an object on in an inclined plane.

On a non-local gas dynamics like integrable hierarchy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunelli, Jose Carlos; Das, Ashok

2004-01-01

We study a new hierarchy of equations derived from the system of isentropic gas dynamics equations where the pressure is a non-local function of the density. We show that the hierarchy of equations is integrable. We construct the two compatible Hamiltonian structures and show that the first structure has three distinct Casimirs while the second has one. The existence of Casimirs allows us to extend the flows to local ones. We construct an infinite series of commuting local Hamiltonians as well as three infinite series (related to the three Casimirs) of non-local charges. We discuss the zero curvature formulation of the system where we obtain a simple expression for the non-local conserved charges, which also clarifies the existence of the three series from a Lie algebraic point of view. We point out that the non-local hierarchy of Hunter-Zheng equations can be obtained from our non-local flows when the dynamical variables are properly constrained. (author)

Force-Time Entropy of Isometric Impulse.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Tsung-Yu; Newell, Karl M

2016-01-01

The relation between force and temporal variability in discrete impulse production has been viewed as independent (R. A. Schmidt, H. Zelaznik, B. Hawkins, J. S. Frank, & J. T. Quinn, 1979 ) or dependent on the rate of force (L. G. Carlton & K. M. Newell, 1993 ). Two experiments in an isometric single finger force task investigated the joint force-time entropy with (a) fixed time to peak force and different percentages of force level and (b) fixed percentage of force level and different times to peak force. The results showed that the peak force variability increased either with the increment of force level or through a shorter time to peak force that also reduced timing error variability. The peak force entropy and entropy of time to peak force increased on the respective dimension as the parameter conditions approached either maximum force or a minimum rate of force production. The findings show that force error and timing error are dependent but complementary when considered in the same framework with the joint force-time entropy at a minimum in the middle parameter range of discrete impulse.

Labor Force

Science.gov (United States)

Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 2010

2010-01-01

The labor force is the number of people aged 16 or older who are either working or looking for work. It does not include active-duty military personnel or institutionalized people, such as prison inmates. Quantifying this total supply of labor is a way of determining how big the economy can get. Labor force participation rates vary significantly…

Chin force in violin playing.

Science.gov (United States)

Obata, Satoshi; Kinoshita, Hiroshi

2012-06-01

Force generated between the left mandible of violinists and the chinrest of the violin was examined using a force-sensing chinrest developed in this study. A strain-gauge force sensor was built, and it was fixed between the violin's top plate and a chin cup. Fifteen professional/amateur violinists held the violin statically, played musical scales with different sound properties and sounding techniques, as well as an excerpt from a Max Bruch concerto. Peak and mean forces were evaluated for each task. In a separate experiment, lateral movement of the lower teeth due to different levels of voluntary chin force exertion was measured. Static holding forces observed were 15 and 22 N with and without the help of the left hand, respectively. Peak force increased from 16 N at soft dynamics to 20 N at strong dynamics during scales. The force further increased to 29 N with the use of vibrato technique and 35 N during shifts. Tempo and hand position did not affect the force. Playing a Bruch concerto induced a mean peak force of 52 N, ranging from 31 to 82 N among the violinists. The developed force-sensing chinrest could accurately record the generated chin force. Typical chin force to stabilize the violin during ordinary musical performance was less than 30 N, but it could momentarily exceed 50 N when technically demanding musical pieces were performed. The lateral shift of the mandible was fairly small (<0.4 mm) even with high chin-force exertion, possibly due to clenching of the molars.

Contact force structure and force chains in 3D sheared granular systems

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Mair, Karen; Jettestuen, Espen; Abe, Steffen

2010-05-01

Faults often exhibit accumulations of granular debris, ground up to create a layer of rock flour or fault gouge separating the rigid fault walls. Numerical simulations and laboratory experiments of sheared granular materials, suggest that applied loads are preferentially transmitted across such systems by transient force networks that carry enhanced forces. The characterisation of such features is important since their nature and persistence almost certainly influence the macroscopic mechanical stability of these systems and potentially that of natural faults. 3D numerical simulations of granular shear are a valuable investigation tool since they allow us to track individual particle motions, contact forces and their evolution during applied shear, that are difficult to view directly in laboratory experiments or natural fault zones. In characterising contact force distributions, it is important to use global structure measures that allow meaningful comparisons of granular systems having e.g. different grain size distributions, as may be expected at different stages of a fault's evolution. We therefore use a series of simple measures to characterise the structure, such as distributions and correlations of contact forces that can be mapped onto a force network percolation problem as recently proposed by Ostojic and coworkers for 2D granular systems. This allows the use of measures from percolation theory to both define and characterise the force networks. We demonstrate the application of this method to 3D simulations of a sheared granular material. Importantly, we then compare our measure of the contact force structure with macroscopic frictional behaviour measured at the boundaries of our model to determine the influence of the force networks on macroscopic mechanical stability.

Force induced DNA melting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santosh, Mogurampelly; Maiti, Prabal K

2009-01-01

When pulled along the axis, double-strand DNA undergoes a large conformational change and elongates by roughly twice its initial contour length at a pulling force of about 70 pN. The transition to this highly overstretched form of DNA is very cooperative. Applying a force perpendicular to the DNA axis (unzipping), double-strand DNA can also be separated into two single-stranded DNA, this being a fundamental process in DNA replication. We study the DNA overstretching and unzipping transition using fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and argue that the conformational changes of double-strand DNA associated with either of the above mentioned processes can be viewed as force induced DNA melting. As the force at one end of the DNA is increased the DNA starts melting abruptly/smoothly above a critical force depending on the pulling direction. The critical force f m , at which DNA melts completely decreases as the temperature of the system is increased. The melting force in the case of unzipping is smaller compared to the melting force when the DNA is pulled along the helical axis. In the case of melting through unzipping, the double-strand separation has jumps which correspond to the different energy minima arising due to sequence of different base pairs. The fraction of Watson-Crick base pair hydrogen bond breaking as a function of force does not show smooth and continuous behavior and consists of plateaus followed by sharp jumps.

Attainment and retention of force moderation following laparoscopic resection training with visual force feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, Rafael; Onar-Thomas, Arzu; Travascio, Francesco; Asfour, Shihab

2017-11-01

Laparoscopic training with visual force feedback can lead to immediate improvements in force moderation. However, the long-term retention of this kind of learning and its potential decay are yet unclear. A laparoscopic resection task and force sensing apparatus were designed to assess the benefits of visual force feedback training. Twenty-two male university students with no previous experience in laparoscopy underwent relevant FLS proficiency training. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control or treatment group. Both groups trained on the task for 2 weeks as follows: initial baseline, sixteen training trials, and post-test immediately after. The treatment group had visual force feedback during training, whereas the control group did not. Participants then performed four weekly test trials to assess long-term retention of training. Outcomes recorded were maximum pulling and pushing forces, completion time, and rated task difficulty. Extreme maximum pulling force values were tapered throughout both the training and retention periods. Average maximum pushing forces were significantly lowered towards the end of training and during retention period. No significant decay of applied force learning was found during the 4-week retention period. Completion time and rated task difficulty were higher during training, but results indicate that the difference eventually fades during the retention period. Significant differences in aptitude across participants were found. Visual force feedback training improves on certain aspects of force moderation in a laparoscopic resection task. Results suggest that with enough training there is no significant decay of learning within the first month of the retention period. It is essential to account for differences in aptitude between individuals in this type of longitudinal research. This study shows how an inexpensive force measuring system can be used with an FLS Trainer System after some retrofitting. Surgical

Capillary force between wetted nanometric contacts and its application to atomic force microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Crassous, Jérôme; Ciccotti, Matteo; Charlaix, Elisabeth

2011-04-05

We extend to the case of perfect wetting the exact calculation of Orr et al. (J. Fluid. Mech. 1975, 67, 723) for a pendular ring connecting two dry surfaces. We derive an approximate analytical expression for the capillary force between two highly curved surfaces covered by a wetting liquid film. The domain of validity of this expression is assessed and extended by a custom-made numerical simulation based on the full exact mathematical description. In the case of attractive liquid-solid van der Waals interactions, the capillary force increases monotonically with decreasing vapor pressure up to several times its saturation value. This accurate description of the capillary force makes it possible to estimate the adhesion force between wet nanoparticles; it can also be used to quantitatively interpret pull-off forces measured by atomic force microscopy.

Discrete Lattice effect of various forcing methods of body force on immersed Boundary-Lattice Boltzmann method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Son, Sung Wan; Ha, Man Yeong; Yoon, Hyun Sik [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Hae Kwon [POSCO, Pohang (Korea, Republic of); Balachandar, S. [University of Florida, Florida (United States)

2013-02-15

We investigate the discrete lattice effect of various forcing methods in the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to include the body force obtained from the immersed boundary method (IBM). In the immersed boundary lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM), the LBM needs a forcing method to involve the body force on a forcing point near the immersed boundary that is calculated by IBM. The proper forcing method in LBM is derived to include the body force, which appears to resolve problems such as multiphase flow, non-ideal gas behavior, etc. Many researchers have adopted different forcing methods in LBM to involve the body force from IBM, even when they solved similar problems. However, it is necessary to evaluate the discrete lattice effect, which originates from different forcing methods in LBM, to include the effect of the body force from IBM on the results. Consequently, in this study, a rigorous analysis of the discrete lattice effect for different forcing methods in IB-LBM is performed by solving various problems.

Discrete Lattice effect of various forcing methods of body force on immersed Boundary-Lattice Boltzmann method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Sung Wan; Ha, Man Yeong; Yoon, Hyun Sik; Jeong, Hae Kwon; Balachandar, S.

2013-01-01

We investigate the discrete lattice effect of various forcing methods in the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to include the body force obtained from the immersed boundary method (IBM). In the immersed boundary lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM), the LBM needs a forcing method to involve the body force on a forcing point near the immersed boundary that is calculated by IBM. The proper forcing method in LBM is derived to include the body force, which appears to resolve problems such as multiphase flow, non-ideal gas behavior, etc. Many researchers have adopted different forcing methods in LBM to involve the body force from IBM, even when they solved similar problems. However, it is necessary to evaluate the discrete lattice effect, which originates from different forcing methods in LBM, to include the effect of the body force from IBM on the results. Consequently, in this study, a rigorous analysis of the discrete lattice effect for different forcing methods in IB-LBM is performed by solving various problems.

High-speed force mapping on living cells with a small cantilever atomic force microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braunsmann, Christoph; Seifert, Jan; Rheinlaender, Johannes; Schäffer, Tilman E.

2014-01-01

The imaging speed of the wide-spread force mapping mode for quantitative mechanical measurements on soft samples in liquid with the atomic force microscope (AFM) is limited by the bandwidth of the z-scanner and viscous drag forces on the cantilever. Here, we applied high-speed, large scan-range atomic force microscopy and small cantilevers to increase the speed of force mapping by ≈10−100 times. This allowed resolving dynamic processes on living mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Cytoskeleton reorganization during cell locomotion, growth of individual cytoskeleton fibers, cell blebbing, and the formation of endocytic pits in the cell membrane were observed. Increasing the force curve rate from 2 to 300 Hz increased the measured apparent Young's modulus of the cells by about 10 times, which facilitated force mapping measurements at high speed

High-speed force mapping on living cells with a small cantilever atomic force microscope

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braunsmann, Christoph; Seifert, Jan; Rheinlaender, Johannes; Schäffer, Tilman E., E-mail: Tilman.Schaeffer@uni-tuebingen [Institute of Applied Physics and LISA, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)

2014-07-15

The imaging speed of the wide-spread force mapping mode for quantitative mechanical measurements on soft samples in liquid with the atomic force microscope (AFM) is limited by the bandwidth of the z-scanner and viscous drag forces on the cantilever. Here, we applied high-speed, large scan-range atomic force microscopy and small cantilevers to increase the speed of force mapping by ≈10−100 times. This allowed resolving dynamic processes on living mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Cytoskeleton reorganization during cell locomotion, growth of individual cytoskeleton fibers, cell blebbing, and the formation of endocytic pits in the cell membrane were observed. Increasing the force curve rate from 2 to 300 Hz increased the measured apparent Young's modulus of the cells by about 10 times, which facilitated force mapping measurements at high speed.

Analytical and numerical verification of the Nernst theorem for metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoeye, Johan S.; Brevik, Iver; Ellingsen, Simen A.; Aarseth, Jan B.

2007-01-01

In view of the current discussion on the subject, an effort is made to show very accurately both analytically and numerically how the Drude dispersion model gives consistent results for the Casimir free energy at low temperatures. Specifically, for the free energy near T=0 we find the leading term proportional to T 2 and the next-to-leading term proportional to T 5-2 . These terms give rise to zero Casimir entropy as T→0 and are thus in accordance with Nernst's theorem

Nuclear forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holinde, K.

1990-01-01

In this paper the present status of the meson theory of nuclear forces is reviewed. After some introductory remarks about the relevance of the meson exchange concept in the era of QCD and the empirical features of the NN interaction, the exciting history of nuclear forces is briefly outlined. In the main part, the author gives the basic physical ideas and sketch the derivation of the one-boson-exchange model of the nuclear force, in the Feynman approach. Secondly we describe, in a qualitative way, various necessary extensions, leading to the Bonn model of the N interaction. Finally, points to some interesting pen questions connected with the extended quark structure of the hadrons, which are topics of current research activity

Forced harmonic oscillations of the Euler-Bernoulli beam with resistance forces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuriy S. Krutiy

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The important issue in the oscillation theory is the study of resistance impact on oscillatory processes. Unlike the calculations of free oscillations, that reside in determination of natural frequencies and waveshapes and unlike the calculations of forced oscillations far away from resonance, that are performing without reference to friction, the oscillations researches in vicinity of resonance need accounting of friction forces. Special attention is paid to forced transverse fluctuations in beams as an important technical problem for engineering and building. Aim: The aim of the work is constructing of analytical solution of the problem of forced transverse vibrations of a straight rod with constant cross-section, which is under the influence of the harmonic load taking into account external and internal resistances. Materials and Methods: The internal resistance is taken into account using the corrected hypothesis of Kelvin-Voigt which reflects the empirically proven fact about the frequency-independent internal friction in the material. The external friction is also considered as frequency-independent. Results: An analytical solution is built for the differential equation of forced transverse oscillations of a straight rod with constant cross-section which is under the influence of the harmonic load taking into account external and internal resistances. As a result, analytically derived formulae are presented which describe the forced dynamic oscillations and the dynamic internal forces due to the harmonic load applied to the rod thus reducing the problem with any possible fixed ends to the search of unknown integration constants represented in a form of initial parameters.

Classical description of dynamical many-body systems with central forces, spin-orbit forces and spin-spin forces