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K. A. Milton

Publications and source records attributed to K. A. Milton.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2005

On the Temperature Dependence of the Casimir Effect

The temperature dependence of the Casimir force between a real metallic plate and a metallic sphere is analyzed on the basis of optical data concerning the dispersion relation of metals such as gold and copper. Realistic permittivities imply, together with basic thermodynamic considerations, that the transverse electric zero mode does not contribute. This results in observable differences with the conventional prediction, which does not take this physical requirement into account. The results are shown to be consistent with the third law of thermodynamics, as well as being consistent with current experiments. However, the predicted temperature dependence should be detectable in future experiments. The inadequacies of approaches based on {\it ad hoc} assumptions, such as the plasma dispersion relation and the use of surface impedance without transverse momentum dependence, are discussed.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2004

Recent Developments in Quantum Vacuum Energy for Confined Fields

Quantum vacuum energy entered hadronic physics through the zero-point energy parameter introduced into the bag model. Estimates of this parameter led to apparent discordance with phenomenological fits. More serious were divergences which were omitted in an ad hoc manner. New developments in understanding Casimir self-stresses, and the nature of surface divergences, promise to render the situation clearcut.

hep-th↗
arXiv2003

Temperature Dependence of the Casimir Force for Metals

Starting from the Lifshitz formula for the Casimir force between parallel plates we calculate the difference between the forces at two different settings, one in which the temperature is $T_1=350$ K, the other when $T_2=300$ K. As material we choose gold, and make use of the Drude dispersion relation. Our results, which are shown graphically, should be directly comparable to experiment. As an analogous calculation based upon the plasma dispersion relation leads to a different theoretical force difference, an experiment of this kind would be a decisive test. We also present an analogous calculation for the case when the two plates are replaced with a sphere-plate system, still with gold as material in both bodies. The sphere is assumed so large that the proximity theorem holds. Discussion of the consistency with the third law of thermodynamics and the validity of the surface impedance approach is provided.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2003

Limits on Production of Magnetic Monopoles Utilizing Samples from the DO and CDF Detectors at the Tevatron

We present 90% confidence level limits on magnetic monopole production at the Fermilab Tevatron from three sets of samples obtained from the D0 and CDF detectors each exposed to a proton-antiproton luminosity of $\sim175 {pb}^{-1}$ (experiment E-882). Limits are obtained for the production cross-sections and masses for low-mass accelerator-produced pointlike Dirac monopoles trapped and bound in material surrounding the D0 and CDF collision regions. In the absence of a complete quantum field theory of magnetic charge, we estimate these limits on the basis of a Drell-Yan model. These results (for magnetic charge values of 1, 2, 3, and 6 times the minimum Dirac charge) extend and improve previously published bounds.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2003

Does the Transverse Electric Zero Mode Contribute to the Casimir Effect for a Metal?

The finite temperature Casimir free energy, entropy, and internal energy are considered anew for a conventional parallel-plate configuration, in the light of current discussions in the literature. In the case of an "ideal" metal, characterized by a refractive index equal to infinity for all frequencies, we recover, via a somewhat unconventional method, conventional results for the temperature dependence, meaning that the zero-frequency transverse electric mode contributes the same as the transverse magnetic mode. For a real metal, however, approximately obeying the Drude dispersive model at low frequencies, we find that the zero-frequency transverse electric mode does not contribute at all. This would appear to lead to an observable temperature dependence and a violation of the third law of thermodynamics. It had been suggested that the source of the difficulty was the behaviour of the reflection coefficient for perpendicular polarization but we show that this is not the case. By introducing a simplified model for the Casimir interaction, consisting of two harmonic oscillators interacting via a third one, we illustrate the behavior of the transverse electric field. Numerical results are presented based on the refractive index for gold. A linear temperature correction to the Casimir force between parallel plates is indeed found which should be observable in room-temperature experiments, but this does not entail any thermodynamic inconsistency.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2002

Remark on the perturbative component of inclusive $τ$-decay

In the context of the inclusive $τ$-decay, we analyze various forms of perturbative expansions which have appeared as modifications of the original perturbative series. We argue that analytic perturbation theory, which combines renormalization-group invariance and $Q^2$-analyticity, has significant merits favoring its use to describe the perturbative component of $τ$-decay.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

The Adler Function for Light Quarks in Analytic Perturbation Theory

The method of analytic perturbation theory, which avoids the problem of ghost-pole type singularities and gives a self-consistent description of both spacelike and timelike regions, is applied to describe the "light" Adler function corresponding to the non-strange vector channel of the inclusive decay of the $τ$ lepton. The role of threshold effects is investigated. The behavior of the quark-antiquark system near threshold is described by using a new relativistic resummation factor. It is shown that the method proposed leads to good agreement with the ``experimental'' Adler function down to the lowest energy scale.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2000

New Limits on the Production of Magnetic Monopoles at Fermilab

First results from an experiment (Fermilab E882) searching for magnetically charged particles bound to elements from the CDF and DØdetectors are reported. The experiment is described, and limits on magnetic monopole pair production cross sections for magnetic charges 1, 2, 3, and 6 times the Dirac pole strength are presented. These limits ($\sim1$ pb), hundreds of times smaller than those found in previous direct accelerator-based searches, use simple model assumptions for the photonic production of monopoles, as does the extraction of mass limits in the hundreds of GeV range.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2000

Dynamical Casimir Effect and Quantum Cosmology

We apply the background field method and the effective action formalism to describe the four-dimensional dynamical Casimir effect. Our picture corresponds to the consideration of quantum cosmology for an expanding FRW universe (the boundary conditions act as a moving mirror) filled by a quantum massless GUT which is conformally invariant. We consider cases in which the static Casimir energy is repulsive and attractive. Inserting the simplest possible inertial term, we find, in the adiabatic (and semiclassical) approximation, the dynamical evolution of the scale factor and the dynamical Casimir stress analytically and numerically (for SU(2) super Yang-Mills theory). Alternative kinetic energy terms are explored in the Appendix.

hep-th↗
arXiv2000

Improved Experimental Limits on the Production of Magnetic Monopoles

We present new limits on low mass accelerator-produced point-like Dirac magnetic monopoles trapped and bound in matter surrounding the DØcollision region of the Tevatron at Fermilab (experiment E-882). In the context of a Drell-Yan mechanism, we obtain cross section limits for the production of monopoles with magnetic charge values of 1, 2, 3, and 6 times the minimum Dirac charge of the order of picobarns, some hundred times smaller than found in similar previous Fermilab searches. Mass limits inferred from these cross section limits are presented.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2000

Comment on Casimir energy for spherical boundaries

It is shown that recent criticism by C. R. Hagen (hep-th/9902057) questioning the validity of stress tensor treatments of the Casimir energy for space divided into two parts by a spherical boundary is without foundation.

hep-th↗
arXiv2000

Renormalization Scheme and Higher Loop Stability in Hadronic $τ$ Decay within Analytic Perturbation Theory

We apply an analytic description to the inclusive decay of the $τ$ lepton. We argue that this method gives not only a self-consistent description of the process both in the timelike region by using the initial expression for $R_τ$ and in the spacelike domain by using the analytic properties of the hadronic correlator, but also leads to the fact that theoretical uncertainties associated with unknown higher-loop contributions and renormalization scheme dependence can be reduced dramatically.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2000

Timelike and spacelike QCD characteristics of the $e^+e^-$ annihilation process

We consider the Adler $D$-function, which is defined in the spacelike region, and the $e^+e^-$ annihilation ratio smeared, according to the Poggio, Quinn, and Weinberg method, which is determined for timelike argument. We show that the method of the nonperturbative $a$-expansion allows one to describe these Euclidean and Minkowskian characteristics of the process of $e^+e^-$ annihilation down to the lowest energy scales.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1998

Sonoluminescence and the Dynamical Casimir Effect

It has been suggested by various authors that the `dynamical Casimir effect' might prove responsible for the production of visible-light photons in the bubble collapse which occurs in sonoluminescence. Previously, I have argued against this point of view based on energetic considerations, in the adiabatic approximation. Those arguments have recently been strengthened by the demonstration of the equivalence between van der Waals and Casimir energies. In this note I concentrate on the other extreme possibility, that of the validity of the `sudden approximation' where in effect the bubble instantaneously ceases to exist. Previous estimates which seemed to support the relevance of the Casimir effect are shown to be unconvincing because they require macroscopic changes on excessively small time scales, involving the entire volume of the bubble at maximum radius.

hep-th↗
arXiv1998

Julian Schwinger and the Casimir Effect: The Reality of Zero-Point Energy

Julian Schwinger became interested in the Casimir effect in 1975. His original impetus was to understand the quantum force between parallel plates without the concept of zero point fluctuations of field quanta, in the language of source theory. He went on to consider applications to dielectrics and to spherical geometries in 1977. Although he published nothing on the subject in the following decade, he did devote considerable effort to understanding the connection between acceleration and temperature in the mid 1980s. During the last four years of his life, he became fascinated with sonoluminescence, and proposed that the dynamical Casimir effect could be responsible for the copious emission of photons by collapsing air bubbles in water.

hep-th↗
arXiv1998

The Bjorken Sum Rule in the Analytic Approach to Perturbative QCD

Results of applying analytic perturbation theory (APT) to the Bjorken sum rule are presented. We study the third-order QCD correction within the analytic approach and investigate its renormalization scheme dependence. We demonstrate that, in the framework of the method, theoretical predictions of the Bjorken sum rule are, practically, scheme independent for the entire interval of momentum transfer.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1998

The Gross--Llewellyn Smith Sum Rule in the Analytic Approach to Perturbative QCD

We apply analytic perturbation theory to the Gross--Llewellyn Smith sum rule. We study the $Q^2$ evolution and the renormalization scheme dependence of the analytic three-loop QCD correction to this sum rule, and demonstrate that the results are practically renormalization scheme independent and lead to rather different $Q^2$ evolution than the standard perturbative correction possesses.

hep-ph↗