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Quantum Field Theory Under the Influence of External Conditions pp 13–23Cite as

Casimir Energy for a Spherical Cavity in a Dielectric: Toward a Model for Sonoluminescence?

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Part of the book series: TEUBNER-TEXTE zur Physik ((TTZP,volume 30))

Abstract

In the final few years of his life, Julian Schwinger proposed that the “dynamical Casimir effect” might provide the driving force behind the puzzling phenomenon of sonoluminescence. Motivated by that exciting suggestion, I have computed the static Casimir energy of a spherical cavity in an otherwise uniform material with dielectric constant ɛ and permeability µ. As expected the result is divergent; yet a plausible finite answer is extracted, in the leading uniform asymptotic approximation. That result gives far too small an energy to account for the large burst of photons seen in sonoluminescence. If the divergent result is retained (which is different from that guessed by Schwinger), it is of the wrong sign to drive the effect. Dispersion does not resolve this contradiction. However, dynamical effects are not yet included.

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Authors
  1. Kimball A. Milton
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Leipzig, Deutschland

    Michael Bordag

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© 1996 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden

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Milton, K.A. (1996). Casimir Energy for a Spherical Cavity in a Dielectric: Toward a Model for Sonoluminescence?. In: Bordag, M. (eds) Quantum Field Theory Under the Influence of External Conditions. TEUBNER-TEXTE zur Physik, vol 30. Vieweg+Teubner Verlag, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-01204-7_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-01204-7_1

  • Publisher Name: Vieweg+Teubner Verlag, Wiesbaden

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-663-01205-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-663-01204-7

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