THE CASIMIR EFFECT
Physical Manifestations of Zero-Point Energy
by K A Milton (University of Oklahoma, USA)
In its simplest manifestation, the Casimir effect is a quantum force of attraction between two parallel uncharged conducting plates. More generally, it refers to the interaction — which may be either attractive or repulsive — between material bodies due to quantum fluctuations in whatever fields are relevant. It is a local version of the van der Waals force between molecules. Its sweep ranges from perhaps its being the origin of the cosmological constant to its being responsible for the confinement of quarks.
This monograph develops the theory of such forces, based primarily on physically transparent Green's function techniques, and makes applications from quarks to the cosmos, as well as observable consequences in condensed matter systems. It is aimed at graduate students and researchers in theoretical physics, quantum field theory, and applied mathematics.
Contents:
- Introduction to the Casimir Effect
- Casimir Force Between
Parallel Plates
- Casimir Force Between Parallel Dielectrics
- Casimir Effect with Perfect Spherical
- The Casimir Effect of a Dielectric Ball: The Equivalence of the Casimir Effect and van der Waals Forces
- Application to Hadronic Physics: Zero-Point Energy in the Bag Model
- Casimir Effect in Cylindrical Geometries
- Casimir Effect in Two Dimensions: The Maxwell–Chern–Simons Casimir Effect
- Casimir Effect on a D-dimensional Sphere
- Cosmological Implications of the Casimir Effect
- Local Effects
- Sonoluminescene and the Dynamical Casimir Effect
- Radiative Corrections to the Casimir Effect
- Conclusions and Outlook
- Appendices:
- Relation of Contour Integral Method to Green's Function Approach
- Casimir Effect for a Closed String
Readership: High-energy, condensed-matter and nuclear physicists.
"The Casimir effect is about a lot more than a force between two metal plates, and Milton's book offers a great opportunity to read about it and learn the techniques by which it can be calculated ... the book is very comprehensive, clearly written and filled with wonderful physics."
"Milton's attractively slim book will guide the serious beginner around the shoals, and its analytical rigor should also attract experienced theorists. It is appealing also in its unified approach, based mainly on Green's function methods that Milton and others developed in collaboration with Julian Schwinger."
"Milton's monograph provides an outstanding review of the present state of the theory and applications of Casmir effects to diverse problems ... Because of its clarity and advanced treatment, this book will likely stimulate the next stage in that development by opening a number of impenetrable fields to advanced students."
| American Journal of Physics |
"This carefully written book gives a survey of the experimental and theoretical situation concerning the Casimir effect ... All technical points are presented clearly and thoroughly. The book belongs on the shelf of anyone who wishes to make practical calculations involving the Casimir effect. The book contains an extensive bibliography. There are occasional historical notes as well. A graduate student or researcher would gain a good perspective of the role of the Casimir effect in physics from a reading."
"Milton also tries to survey the field while emphasizing the Green's function technique in concrete calculations. In the past decades, he contributed in so many ways to our present understanding of the effect that the book more or less recounts his personal journey through the Casimir world."
| 320pp |
Pub. date: Oct 2001 |
