arXiv subjects

Francesco Belgiorno

Publications and source records attributed to Francesco Belgiorno.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Exact solutions for analog Hawking effect in dielectric media

In the framework of the analog Hawking radiation for dielectric media, we analyze a toy-model and also the 2D reduction of the Hopfield model for a specific monotone and realistic profile for the refractive index. We are able to provide exact solutions, which do not require any weak dispersion approximation. The theory of Fuchsian ordinary differential equations is the basic tool for recovering exact solutions, which are rigoroulsy identified, and involve the so-called generalized hypergeometric functions $_4F_3(α_1,α_2,α_3,α_4;β_1,β_2,β_3;z)$. A complete set of connection formulas are available, both for the subcritical case and for the transcritical one, and also the Stokes phenomenon occurring in the problem is fully discussed. From the physical point of view, we focus on the problem of thermality. Under suitable conditions, the Hawking temperature is deduced, and we show that it is in fully agreement with the expression deduced in other frameworks under various approximations.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

Perturbative Approach to Analog Hawking Radiation in dielectric media in subcritical regime

We take into account the subcritical case for dielectric media by exploiting an approximation allowing us to perform perturbative analytical calculations and still not implying low dispersive effects. We show that in the background of a specific soliton-like solution, pair-creation occurs and can display a thermal behaviour governed by an effective temperature. The robustness of the approach is also corroborated by the analysis of the $ϕψ$-model related to the standard Hopfield model, for which analogous results are obtained.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Quantization and soliton-like solutions for the $ΦΨ$-model in a optic fiber

In the framework of a mesoscopical model for dielectric media we provide an analytical description for the electromagnetic field confined in a cylindrical cavity containing a finite dielectric sample. This system is apted to simulate the electromagnetic field in a optic fiber, in which two different regions, a vacuum region and a dielectric one, appear. A complete description for the scattering basis is introduced, together with field quantization and the two-point function. Furthermore, we also determine soliton-like solutions in the dielectric, propagating in the sample of nonlinear dielectric medium.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

A Weyl Entropy of Pure Spacetime Regions

We focus on the Penrose's Weyl Curvature Hypothesis in a general framework encompassing many specific models discussed in literature. We introduce a candidate density for the Weyl entropy in pure spacetime perfect fluid regions and show that it is monotonically increasing in time under very general assumptions. Then we consider the behavior of the Weyl entropy of compact regions, which is shown to be monotone in time as well under suitable hypotheses, and also maximal in correspondence with vacuum static metrics. The minimal entropy case is discussed too.

math.DG↗

arXiv2014

Perturbative photon production in a dispersive medium

We investigate photon pair-creation in a dispersive dielectric medium induced by the presence of a spacetime varying dielectric constant. Our aim is to examine the possibility to observe new phenomena of pair creation induced by travelling dielectric perturbations e.g. created by laser pulses by means of the Kerr effect. In this perspective, we adopt a semi-phenomenological version of the Hopfield model in which a space-time dependent dielectric susceptibility appears. We focus our attention on perturbation theory, and provide general formulas for the photon production induced by a local but arbitrarily spacetime dependent refractive index perturbation. As an example, we further explore the case of an uniformly travelling perturbation, and provide examples of purely time-dependent perturbations.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Emission of correlated photon pairs from superluminal perturbations in dispersive media

We develop a perturbative theory that describes a superluminal refractive perturbation propagating in a dispersive medium and the subsequent excitation of the quantum vacuum zero-point fluctuations. We find a process similar to the anomalous Doppler effect: photons are emitted in correlated pairs and mainly within a Cerenkov-like cone, one on the forward and the other in backward directions. The number of photon pairs emitted from the perturbation increases strongly with the degree of superluminality and under realizable experimental conditions, it can reach up to ~0.01 photons per pulse. Moreover, it is in principle possible to engineer the host medium so as to modify the effective group refractive index. In the presence of "fast light" media, e.g. a with group index smaller than unity, a further ~10x enhancement may be achieved and the photon emission spectrum is characterized by two sharp peaks that, in future experiments would clearly identify the correlated emission of photon pairs.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Quantum properties of the Dirac field on BTZ black hole backgrounds

We consider a Dirac field on a $(1 + 2)$-dimensional uncharged BTZ black hole background. We first find out the Dirac Hamiltonian, and study its self-adjointness properties. We find that, in analogy to the Kerr-Newman-AdS Dirac Hamiltonian in $(1+3)$ dimensions, essential self-adjointness on $C_0^{\infty}(r_+,\infty)^2$ of the reduced (radial) Hamiltonian is implemented only if a suitable relation between the mass $μ$ of the Dirac field and the cosmological radius $l$ holds true. The very presence of a boundary-like behaviour of $r=\infty$ is at the root of this problem. Also, we determine in a complete way qualitative spectral properties for the non-extremal case, for which we can infer the absence of quantum bound states for the Dirac field. Next, we investigate the possibility of a quantum loss of angular momentum for the $(1 + 2)$-dimensional uncharged BTZ black hole. Unlike the corresponding stationary four-dimensional solutions, the formal treatment of the level crossing mechanism is much simpler. We find that, even in the extremal case, no level crossing takes place. Therefore, no quantum loss of angular momentum via particle pair production is allowed.

math-ph↗

arXiv2008

Absence of Normalizable Time-periodic Solutions for The Dirac Equation in Kerr-Newman-dS Black Hole Background

We consider the Dirac equation on the background of a Kerr-Newman-de Sitter black hole. By performing variable separation, we show that there exists no time-periodic and normalizable solution of the Dirac equation. This conclusion holds true even in the extremal case. With respect to previously considered cases, the novelty is represented by the presence, together with a black hole event horizon, of a cosmological (non degenerate) event horizon, which is at the root of the possibility to draw a conclusion on the aforementioned topic in a straightforward way even in the extremal case.

math-ph↗

arXiv2008

The Dirac Equation in Kerr-Newman-AdS Black Hole Background

We consider the Dirac equation on the Kerr-Newman-AdS black hole background. We first perform the variable separation for the Dirac equation and define the Hamiltonian operator $\hat H$. Then we show that for a massive Dirac field with mass $μ\geq \frac{1}{2l}$ essential selfadjointness of $\hat H$ on $C_0^{\infty} ((r_+,\infty) \times S^2)^4$ is obtained even in presence of the boundary-like behavior of infinity in an asymptotically AdS black hole background. Furthermore qualitative spectral properties of the Hamiltonian are taken into account and in agreement with the existing results concerning the case of stationary axi-symmetric asymptotically flat black holes we infer the absence of time-periodic and normalizable solutions of the Dirac equation around the black hole in the non-extremal case.

math-ph↗

arXiv2000

Sonoluminescence: Two-photon correlations as a test of thermality

In this Letter we propose a fundamental test for probing the thermal nature of the spectrum emitted by sonoluminescence. We show that two-photon correlations can in principle discriminate between real thermal light and the quasi-thermal squeezed-state photons typical of models based on the dynamic Casimir effect. Two-photon correlations provide a powerful experimental test for various classes of sonoluminescence models.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Sonoluminescence as a QED vacuum effect. I: The Physical Scenario

Several years ago Schwinger proposed a physical mechanism for sonoluminescence in terms of changes in the properties of the quantum-electrodynamic (QED) vacuum state. This mechanism is most often phrased in terms of changes in the Casimir Energy: changes in the distribution of zero-point energies and has recently been the subject of considerable controversy. The present paper further develops this quantum-vacuum approach to sonoluminescence: We calculate Bogolubov coefficients relating the QED vacuum states in the presence of a homogeneous medium of changing dielectric constant. In this way we derive an estimate for the spectrum, number of photons, and total energy emitted. We emphasize the importance of rapid spatio-temporal changes in refractive indices, and the delicate sensitivity of the emitted radiation to the precise dependence of the refractive index as a function of wavenumber, pressure, temperature, and noble gas admixture. Although the physics of the dynamical Casimir effect is a universal phenomenon of QED, specific experimental features are encoded in the condensed matter physics controlling the details of the refractive index. This calculation places rather tight constraints on the possibility of using the dynamical Casimir effect as an explanation for sonoluminescence, and we are hopeful that this scenario will soon be amenable to direct experimental probes. In a companion paper we discuss the technical complications due to finite-size effects, but for reasons of clarity in this paper we confine attention to bulk effects.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Sonoluminescence as a QED vacuum effect. II: Finite Volume Effects

In a companion paper [quant-ph/9904013] we have investigated several variations of Schwinger's proposed mechanism for sonoluminescence. We demonstrated that any realistic version of Schwinger's mechanism must depend on extremely rapid (femtosecond) changes in refractive index, and discussed ways in which this might be physically plausible. To keep that discussion tractable, the technical computations in that paper were limited to the case of a homogeneous dielectric medium. In this paper we investigate the additional complications introduced by finite-volume effects. The basic physical scenario remains the same, but we now deal with finite spherical bubbles, and so must decompose the electromagnetic field into Spherical Harmonics and Bessel functions. We demonstrate how to set up the formalism for calculating Bogolubov coefficients in the sudden approximation, and show that we qualitatively retain the results previously obtained using the homogeneous-dielectric (infinite volume) approximation.

quant-ph↗