Comments on anomaly versus WKB/tunneling methods for calculating Unruh radiation
Abstract
In this Letter we make a critique of, and comparison between, the anomaly method and WKB/tunneling method for obtaining radiation from non-trivial spacetime backgrounds. We focus on Rindler spacetime (the spacetime of an accelerating observer) and the associated Unruh radiation since this is the prototype of the phenomena of radiation from a spacetime, and it is the simplest model for making clear subtle points in the tunneling and anomaly methods. Our analysis leads to the following conclusions: (i) neither the consistent and covariant anomaly methods gives the correct Unruh temperature for Rindler spacetime and in some cases (e.g. de Sitter spacetime) the consistent and covariant methods disagree with one another; (ii) the tunneling method can be applied in all cases, but it has a previously unnoticed temporal contribution which must be accounted for in order to obtain the correct temperature.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0808.3413,
title = {Comments on anomaly versus WKB/tunneling methods for calculating Unruh radiation},
author = {Valeria Akhmedova and Terry Pilling and Andrea de Gill and Douglas Singleton},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0808.3413},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
13 pages, 0 figures, revtex4, To be published PLB. Critic of detailed balance dropped and reference added which shows how detailed balance works if one correctly takes into account the temporal piece. Discussion added about temporal contribution giving P_abs=1 condition added showing why "complex integration" constant is not needed