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Speaker |
Verch, Rainer |
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Coauthors |
Detlev Buchholz |
| Talk Title |
New Perspectives on the Unruh Effect |
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Abstract |
In this talk, which is based on a recent joint article with Detlev Buchholz (arXiv:1412.5892 [math-ph]), methods of algebraic quantum field theory will be employed to obtain new insights on macroscopic aspects of the Unruh effect. It is shown in the model-independent setting of algebraic quantum field theory that observables carried rigidly in accelerated laboratories will, in the long-time limit, not register any thermal effects, but approximate vacuum expectation values. Contrasting this with the Unruh effect, we will conclude that the Gibbs state assumed by a uniformly accelerated detector system coupled toa quantum field in its vacuum state in the long-time limit should not be viewed as the result of coupling the detector to a heat bath, i.e. as due purely to transfer of heat to the detector. Further results will be presented showing that the heat bath picture which is commonly used in the interpretation of the Unruh effect leads to inconsistencies and is not tenable. |
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