Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Smooth and sharp creation of a Dirichlet wall in 1+1 quantum field theory: how singular is the sharp creation limit?

Brown, Eric G.; Louko, Jorma

Smooth and sharp creation of a Dirichlet wall in 1+1 quantum field theory: how singular is the sharp creation limit? Thumbnail


Authors

Eric G. Brown

JORMA LOUKO JORMA.LOUKO@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
Professor of Mathematical Physics



Abstract

We present and utilize a simple formalism for the smooth creation of boundary conditions within relativistic quantum field theory. We consider a massless scalar field in (1 + 1)-dimensional flat spacetime and imagine smoothly transitioning from there being no boundary condition to there being a two-sided Dirichlet mirror. The act of doing this, expectantly, generates a flux of real quanta that emanates from the mirror as it is being created. We show that the local stress-energy tensor of the flux is finite only if an infrared cutoff is introduced, no matter how slowly the mirror is created, in agreement with the perturbative results of Obadia and Parentani. In the limit of instaneous mirror creation the total energy injected into the field becomes ultraviolet divergent, but the response of an Unruh-DeWitt particle detector passing through the infinite burst of energy nevertheless remains finite. Implications for vacuum entanglement extraction and for black hole firewalls are discussed.

Citation

Brown, E. G., & Louko, J. (2015). Smooth and sharp creation of a Dirichlet wall in 1+1 quantum field theory: how singular is the sharp creation limit?. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2015(8), Article 61. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep08%282015%29061

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 8, 2015
Online Publication Date Aug 13, 2015
Publication Date 2015-08
Deposit Date Oct 18, 2018
Publicly Available Date Oct 18, 2018
Journal Journal of High Energy Physics
Publisher Springer Verlag
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 2015
Issue 8
Article Number 61
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep08%282015%29061
Keywords Field Theories in Lower Dimensions; Nonperturbative Effects; Models of Quantum Gravity; Black Holes
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1174418
Publisher URL https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FJHEP08%282015%29061

Files





You might also like



Downloadable Citations