Classical Aspects of Accelerated Unruh-DeWitt Type Monopole Detectors

TL;DR

This paper explores the classical analogy of the Unruh effect using monopole detectors, showing that classical detectors cannot detect acceleration unless they have finite size, through analysis of field configurations and energy density.

Contribution

It establishes a classical correspondence of the Unruh effect for monopole detectors and analyzes the conditions under which acceleration can be detected classically.

Findings

Classical monopole detectors cannot detect acceleration unless finite size.

Field configurations around accelerated detectors are explicitly calculated.

Energy density modifications reveal the classical Unruh effect analogy.

Abstract

We have shown the classical correspondence of Unruh effect in the classical relativistic electron theory in our previous work (gr-qc/0105051). Here we demonstrate the analogy between the classical relativistic electron theory and the classical Unruh-DeWitt type monopole detector theory. The field configuration generated by a uniformly accelerated detector is worked out. The classical correspondence of Unruh effect for scalar fields is shown by calculating the modified energy density for the scalar field around the detector. We conclude that a classical monopole detector cannot find any evidence about its acceleration unless it has a finite size.