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The quantum radiation from mirrors moving sideways
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 04:46 authored by Gabriel BartonRadiation from movingmirrors, a pure quantum effect, is well understood for mirrors that advance or recede. Here the simplest complementary scenarios are explored, where the mirror is not displaced: half-spaces shifting parallel to their surface and spheres rotating around a diameter. Perfect mirrors do not then radiate at all; hence this preliminary study (for a scalar field) is confined to order (1-1/n2)2for media with a constant (nondispersive) refractive indexn˜1; and also to leading order in (mirror velocity =v)/c. The (photon-pair) emission probabilities, the radiative reaction force, and the radiated power are determined for a half-space with arbitraryv. For simple-harmonicvthe single-photon spectrum and angular distribution are given explicitly. The drag exerted on a fixed half-space by a moving one vanishes for constantv, although no reason from any symmetry is apparent. IfaO/c?1, then a sphere of radiusaoscillating harmonically at frequencyOradiates power at the same rate per unit area of its surface as would a half-space with the same velocity; but ifaO/c?1, the power is less by a factor (aO/c)6, a measure of the difference between effectively infinite and finite-size mirrors. An appendix evaluates the finite-temperature reaction and drag forces at constantv. Remarkably, this drag on a fixed half-space is independent of its distance from the moving one.
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
Annals of PhysicsISSN
0003-4916Publisher
ElsevierExternal DOI
Issue
2Volume
245Page range
361-388ISBN
0003-4916Department affiliated with
- Physics and Astronomy Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2012-02-06Usage metrics
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