English

Fluctuations of the Unruh Temperature

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2011-08-04 v1 High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

Using the influence functional formalism, the problem of an accelerating detector in the presence of a scalar field in its ground state is considered in Minkowski space. As is known since the work of Unruh, to a quantum mechanical detector following a definite, classical acceleration, the field appears to be thermally excited. We relax the requirement of perfect classicality for the trajectory and substitute it with one of {\it derived} classicality through the criteria of decoherence. The ensuing fluctuations in temperature are then related with the time and the amplitude of excitation in the detector's internal degree of freedom.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.gr-qc/9408016,
  title  = {Fluctuations of the Unruh Temperature},
  author = {J. -G. Demers},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/9408016},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

LATEX, 12 pages + 2 figures (available upon request) MIT-CTP 2342