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Torque Anomaly in Quantum Field Theory

High Energy Physics - Theory 2013-03-07 v1 Mathematical Physics math.MP Quantum Physics

Abstract

The expectation values of energy density and pressure of a quantum field inside a wedge-shaped region appear to violate the expected relationship between torque and total energy as a function of angle. In particular, this is true of the well-known Deutsch--Candelas stress tensor for the electromagnetic field, whose definition requires no regularization except possibly at the vertex. Unlike a similar anomaly in the pressure exerted by a reflecting boundary against a perpendicular wall, this problem cannot be dismissed as an artifact of an ad hoc regularization.

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Cite

@article{arxiv.1212.6249,
  title  = {Torque Anomaly in Quantum Field Theory},
  author = {S. A. Fulling and F. D. Mera and C. S. Trendafilova},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1212.6249},
  year   = {2013}
}

Comments

3 pages

R2 v1 2026-06-21T23:00:31.024Z