nLab Casimir effect

Contents

Context

Physics

physics, mathematical physics, philosophy of physics

Surveys, textbooks and lecture notes


theory (physics), model (physics)

experiment, measurement, computable physics

Algebraic Quantum Field Theory

algebraic quantum field theory (perturbative, on curved spacetimes, homotopical)

Introduction

Concepts

field theory:

Lagrangian field theory

quantization

quantum mechanical system, quantum probability

free field quantization

gauge theories

interacting field quantization

renormalization

Theorems

States and observables

Operator algebra

Local QFT

Perturbative QFT

Contents

Idea

In quantum electrodynamics there is a net force between two conducting but uncharged parallel plates, which is absent in the classical field theory of electromagnetism. This quantum effect is called the Casimir effect.

References

Named after Hendrik Casimir.

Discussion in the context of causal perturbation theory is in

Popular accounts often attribute the Casimir effect to vacuum energy. Discussion that this is false includes

See also

Last revised on January 20, 2018 at 20:40:33. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.