Abstract
We investigate the Casimir-Polder interaction energy between a uniformly accelerated two-level system and an infinite plate with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Our model is a two-level atom interacting with a massless scalar field, with a uniform acceleration in a direction parallel to the plate. We consider the contributions of vacuum fluctuations and of the radiation reaction field to the atom-wall Casimir-Polder interaction, and we discuss their dependence on the acceleration of the atom. We show that, as a consequence of the noninertial motion of the two-level atom, a thermal term is present in the vacuum fluctuation contribution to the Casimir-Polder interaction. Finally we discuss the relevance of this result for the Unruh effect.
Lingua originale | English |
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pagine (da-a) | 062114-1-062114-7 |
Numero di pagine | 7 |
Rivista | PHYSICAL REVIEW A |
Volume | 76 |
Stato di pubblicazione | Published - 2007 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics