Quantum backreaction (Casimir) effect. II. Scalar and electromagnetic fields

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum backreaction (Casimir) effect for scalar and electromagnetic fields using algebraic quantum theory, revealing model-dependent results and challenging the traditional view of the electromagnetic Casimir force at large separations.

Contribution

It applies algebraic methods to analyze the backreaction energy in models with softened boundary conditions, providing new formulas and insights into the electromagnetic Casimir effect.

Findings

Backreaction energy formulas are model-dependent.

Casimir force may become repulsive at large distances.

The electromagnetic Casimir formula is only an asymptotic term.

Abstract

Casimir effect in most general terms may be understood as a backreaction of a quantum system causing an adiabatic change of the external conditions under which it is placed. This paper is the second installment of a work scrutinizing this effect with the use of algebraic methods in quantum theory. The general scheme worked out in the first part is applied here to the discussion of particular models. We consider models of the quantum scalar field subject to external interaction with ``softened'' Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions on two parallel planes. We show that the case of electromagnetic field with softened perfect conductor conditions on the planes may be reduced to the other two. The ``softening'' is implemented on the level of the dynamics, and is not imposed ad hoc, as is usual in most treatments, on the level of observables. We calculate formulas for the backreaction energy in these models. We find that the common belief that for electromagnetic field the backreaction force tends to the strict Casimir formula in the limit of ``removed cutoff'' is not confirmed by our strict analysis. The formula is model dependent and the Casimir value is merely a term in the asymptotic expansion of the formula in inverse powers of the distance of the planes. Typical behaviour of the energy for large separation of the plates in the class of models considered is a quadratic fall-of. Depending on the details of the ``softening'' of the boundary conditions the backreaction force may become repulsive for large separations.