Accelerated Multi-Level Atoms in an Electromagnetic Vacuum and Fulling--Davies--Unruh Effect

We consider, from the point of view of a coaccelerated frame, a uniformly accelerated multi-level atom in interaction with vacuum quantum electromagnetic fields in the multi-polar coupling scheme, and calculate the rate of change of the atom＇s energy assuming a thermal bath at a finite temperature T in the Rindler wedge. Comparison with the spontaneous excitation rate of the atom calculated in the instantaneous inertial frame of the atom shows that both the inertial and coaccelerated observer would agree with each other only when the temperature of the thermal bath equals the FDU value TFDU = α/2π.     

Restrictions on negative energy density for the Dirac field in flat spacetime

This paper investigates the quantum Dirac field in n+1-dimensional flat spacetime and derives a lower bound in the form of quantum inequality on the energy density averaged against spacetime sampling functions. The state-independent quantum inequality derived in the present paper is similar to the temporal quantum energy inequality and it is stronger for massive field than for massless one. It also presents the concrete results of the quantum inequality in 2 and 4-dimensional spacetimes.     

Vacuum Fluctuations and Motion of a Charged Test Particle in a Cylindrical Spacetime

The effects of quantum electromagnetic fluctuations upon the motion of a test charged particle are examined in a cylindrical spacetime in which one spatial is compactified. The mean squared fluctuations in the velocity and position of the test particle are calculated. It is found that the random motion of the test particle will be anisotropic. The possible consequences for theories with extra compactified spatial dimensions are discussed.     

Quantum Inequality for Negative Energy Density States of Massive Dirac Field in Four-Dimensional Spacetime

Negative energy density and the quantum inequality are examined for the Dirac field. A proof is given of the quantum inequality for negative energy densities in the massive Dirac field produced by the superposition of two single particle electron states.     

单极子荷电黑洞时空背景中有质量标量场的衰减

通过对在单极子荷电黑洞背景中有质量标量场后期演化的研究,发现振荡反幂函数的衰减方式支配了有质量标量场的后期衰减.有质量标量场在单极子荷电黑洞时空背景中的后期衰减比在无整体单极子的Reissner-Nordstrom时空度规下的后期衰减更快.     

Radiative Energy Shifts of an Atom Coupled to the Derivative of a Scalar Field near a Reflecting Boundary

We study the radiative energy level shifts of a two-level atom in dipole coupling to the derivative of a massless scalar quantum field in a spacetime with a perfectly reflecting boundary, and calculate the contributions of vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction to the level shift. It is found that the energy level shift of the excited state is an oscillating function of the atom＇s distance from the boundary and it can either be positive or negative, while that of the ground state is always positive. The most remarkable feature is that the energy level shift of the ground state behaves like 1/z^4 when the atom＇s distance from the boundary, z, is very large as compared to the transition wavelength of the atom, while it behaves like 1/z^3 when z is very small     

Spontaneous Emission of an Atom in a Spacetime with Two Parallel Reflecting Boundaries

We consider an inertial two-level atom in interaction with a real massless scalar quantum field in a spacetime between two parallel reflecting plane boundaries, and calculate the contributions of vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction to the rate of change of the atomic energy. Our results show that there exists a regime of the separation L between the two boundaries such that the excited atom＇s spontaneous emission is impossible. There also exist certain values of the atom＇s position such that the corrections due to the presence of boundaries balance each other, so that the atom＇s spontaneous emission rate is the same as if there were no boundaries at all.     

Radiation Rate of a Two-Level Atom in a Spacetime with a Reflecting Boundary

We study a two-level atom in interaction with a real massless scalar quantum field in a spacetime with a reflecting boundary. We calculate the rate of change of the atomic energy for the atom. The presence of the boundary modifies the quantum fluctuations of the scalar field, which in turn modifies the rate of change of the atomic energy. It is found that the modifications induced by the presence of a boundary make the spontaneous radiation rate of an excited atom to oscillate near the boundary and this oscillatory behaviour may offer a possible opportunity for experimental tests for geometrical （boundary） effects in flat spacetime.     

Random Motion of a Charged Test Particle with a Classical Constant Velocity in Vacuum in a Cylindrical Spacetime

We examine the random motion of a charged test particle with a nonzero classical velocity driven by quantum electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations in a cylindrical spacetime and calculate both the velocity and position dispersions of the test particle. It is found that the dispersions display different behaviour in different directions. These differences can be understood as a result of the topology of the configuration and initial physical conditions.     

Radiative Energy Shifts of an Accelerated Multilevel Atom Coupled to the Derivative of a Scalar Field

We study the energy level shifts of an accelerated multilevel atom in dipole coupling to the derivative of a quantum massless scalar field and separately calculate the contributions of vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction to the shifts. It is found that, in contrast to the case of a monopole-like interaction, both the vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction contributions are changed by acceleration, and they all contain non-thermal correction terms. Our results suggest that the effect of acceleration on the energy shifts is dependent on the type of the interaction between the atom and the quantum field.