Secularly growing loop corrections to the dynamical Casimir effect

TL;DR

This paper investigates quantum loop corrections to the dynamical Casimir effect in a (1+1)-dimensional scalar field with moving boundaries, revealing that these corrections grow over time and challenge the validity of perturbation theory.

Contribution

It provides a detailed calculation of loop corrections in the dynamical Casimir effect and demonstrates their secular growth, highlighting the breakdown of perturbation theory in this context.

Findings

Loop corrections grow with time, becoming comparable to semi-classical effects.

Perturbation theory breaks down due to secular growth of quantum corrections.

Discusses potential methods to address the divergence in calculations.

Abstract

The paper is based on the Bachelor Thesis defended this year in ITEP, Moscow. This is the extended version of [arXiv:1707.02242] and contains a lot more technical details of the calculations. We consider (1+1)-dimensional massless scalar field theory with Dirichlet boundary conditions on arbitrary time-like curve. It is well known that in this situation there is a non-zero energy flux at the tree-level, if the latter curve corresponds to a non--stationary motion of the boundary. Such a problem is usually referred to as the radiation due to moving mirrors. We calculate quantum loop corrections to the energy flux from moving mirrors and find that they grow with time. Hence, they are not suppressed in comparison with the semi--classical contributions. Thus, we observe the break down of the perturbation theory, discuss its physical origin and ways to deal with such a situation.