Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: McKay on 30/08/2014 23:04:33
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The idea in Casimir experiment is that there is less of the so called virtual photon/ particle pressure between the plates than outside and that causes the plates to be pushed together.
What I am thinking about is this: if the plates are moved, parallel to a plates plane (hope I get this right), quickly enough - would the lower pressure area continue to exist outside the plate confinement for a short amount of time until new particles/ waves pop into existence and fill it?
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The times I've seen it described the idea is about waves and 'pressure'. "According to quantum mechanics, the energy of an electromagnetic field in a vacuum is not zero but continuously fluctuates around a certain mean value (equal to half a photon at a temperature of absolute zero). Resonance means that only certain wavelengths will exist between two plates separated by a particular distance. What Casimir worked out was that the radiation pressure of the field outside the plates will tend to be slightly greater than that between the plates and therefore the plates will be attracted to one another. " It's about possibilities of waves and how to restrict those possibilities by placing the plates at a certain distance from each other. So no, I don't think it should matter if you moved the plates? If it's looked at as a field (virtual photons/waves) the inside of those plates should become a sort of cavity, that the field must adapt to, I think?
Maybe JP knows :)
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So no, I don't think it should matter if you moved the plates? If it's looked at as a field (virtual photons/waves) the inside of those plates should become a sort of cavity, that the field must adapt to, I think?
Well, but any adaptation must happen over time and cant be instantaneous, can it?