Background Thermal Contributions in Testing the Unruh Effect

TL;DR

This paper investigates how background thermal radiation influences the excitation rates of Unruh-DeWitt detectors under acceleration, providing insights relevant for experimental tests of the Unruh effect in particle accelerators.

Contribution

It presents a detailed analysis of thermal effects on detector excitation rates, highlighting conditions where thermal backgrounds have minimal impact, aiding experimental design.

Findings

Fast-moving detectors are minimally affected by thermal backgrounds.

Thermal baths do not significantly alter excitation probabilities at high velocities.

Results inform potential experimental setups for observing the Unruh effect.

Abstract

We consider inertial and accelerated Unruh-DeWitt detectors moving in a background thermal bath and calculate their excitation rates. It is shown that for fast moving detectors such a thermal bath does not affect substantially the excitation probability. Our results are discussed in connection with a possible proposal of testing the Unruh effect in high energy particle accelerators.