Multiple scattering methods in Casimir calculations

DOI10.1088/1751-8113/41/15/155402MaRDI QIDQ5460465zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Kimball A. Milton, Jef Wagner

Publication date 28 April 2008

Published in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/0712.3811

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Axiomatic quantum field theory; operator algebras (81T05) Electromagnetic interaction; quantum electrodynamics (81V10) (n)-body potential quantum scattering theory (81U10)

Abstract: Multiple scattering formulations have been employed for more than 30 years as a method of studying the quantum vacuum or Casimir interactions between distinct bodies. Here we review the method in the simple context of $delta$-function potentials, so-called semitransparent bodies. (In the limit of strong coupling, a semitransparent boundary becomes a Dirichlet one.) After applying the method to rederive the Casimir force between two semitransparent plates and the Casimir self-stress on a semitransparent sphere, we obtain expressions for the Casimir energies between disjoint parallel semitransparent cylinders and between disjoint semitransparent spheres. Simplifications occur for weak and strong coupling. In particular, after performing a power series expansion in the ratio of the radii of the objects to the separation between them, we are able to sum the weak-coupling expansions exactly to obtain explicit closed forms for the Casimir interaction energy. The same can be done for the interaction of a weak-coupling sphere or cylinder with a Dirichlet plane. We show that the proximity force approximation (PFA), which becomes the proximity force theorem when the objects are almost touching, is very poor for finite separations.

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