Probing the Unruh effect with an accelerated extended system

Author(s)

Uliana Lima, Cesar A. ^[1] ; Brito, Frederico ^[1] ; Hoyos, Jose A. ^[1] ; Turolla Vanzella, Daniel A. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Fis Sao Carlos, Caixa Postal 369, BR-13560970 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS; v. 10, JUL 10 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

It has been proved in the context of quantum fields in Minkowski spacetime that the vacuum state is a thermal state according to uniformly accelerated observers-a seminal result known as the Unruh effect. Recent claims, however, have challenged the validity of this result for extended systems, thus casting doubts on its physical reality. Here, we study the dynamics of an extended system, uniformly accelerated in the vacuum. We show that its reduced density matrix evolves to a Gibbs thermal state with local temperature given by the Unruh temperature T-U = ha/(2 pi ck(B)), where a is the system's spatial-dependent proper acceleration-c is the speed of light and k(B) and h are the Boltzmann's and the reduced Planck's constants, respectively. This proves that the vacuum state does induce thermalization of an accelerated extended system-which is all one can expect of a legitimate thermal reservoir. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/12165-4 - Quantum phenomena in curved spacetimes
• Grantee: Daniel Augusto Turolla Vanzela
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/24728-0 - Finite-temperature quantum field theory and the Unruh effect
• Grantee: Cesar Augustus Uliana Lima
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 16/10826-1 - Multi-user equipment approved in grant 2015/23849-7: computer cluster
• Grantee: Francisco Castilho Alcaraz
• Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program
• FAPESP's process: 15/23849-7 - Quantum spin chains
• Grantee: Francisco Castilho Alcaraz
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants