# Casimir energy of an open string with angle-dependent boundary condition

## TL;DR

This paper calculates the Casimir energy of an open string with angle-dependent boundary conditions using three methods, revealing how the energy depends on the angle and temperature, and relating it to electromagnetic models.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of Casimir energy for an open string with angle-dependent boundary conditions using multiple computational approaches.

## Key findings

- Casimir energy depends on the angle between the beams.
- Finite temperature effects on Casimir energy are characterized.
- The model relates to an open string with charges in an electromagnetic field.

## Abstract

We consider an open string with ends laying on the two different solid beams (rods). This set-up is equivalent to two scalar fields with a set of constraints at their end-points. We calculate the zero-point energy and the Casimir energy in three different ways: (1) by use of the Hurwitz zeta function, (2) by employing the contour integration method in the complex frequency plane, and (3) by constructing the Green's function for the system. In the case of contour integration we also present a finite temperature expression for the Casimir energy, along with a convenient analytic approximation for high temperatures. The Casimir energy at zero temperature is found to be a sum of the Luscher potential energy and a term depending on the angle between the beams. The relationship of this model to an analogous open string model with charges fixed at its ends, moving in an electromagnetic field, is discussed.