Related papers: Stablizing oscillating universes against quantum d…
The electromagnetic vacuum is known to have energy. It has been recently argued that the quantum vacuum can possess momentum, that adds up to the momentum of matter. This ``Casimir momentum'' is closely related to the Casimir effect, in…
Loop quantum cosmology predicts that, in simple models, the big bang singularity of classical general relativity is replaced by a quantum bounce. Because of the extreme physical conditions near the bounce, a natural question is whether the…
The Casimir effect is a quantum phenomenon rooted in the fact that vacuum fluctuations of quantum fields are affected by the presence of physical objects and boundaries. Since the energy spectrum of the vacuum fluctuations depends on…
We discover that some unstable vacua have long memory. By that we mean that even in the theories containing only massive particles, there are correllators and expectation values which grow with time. We examine the cases of instabilities…
We discuss some effects induced by quantum field fluctuations on mass, inertia and gravitation. Recalling the problem raised by vacuum field fluctuations with respect to inertia and gravitation, we show that vacuum energy differences, such…
We consider non-relativistic systems in quantum mechanics interacting through the Coulomb potential, and discuss the existence of bound states which are stable against spontaneous dissociation into smaller atoms or ions. We review the…
The stability of scalar quintessence potentials under quantum fluctuations is investigated for both uncoupled models and models with a coupling to fermions. We find that uncoupled models are usually stable in the late universe. However, the…
The stability of the cosmological event horizons found recently by Gregory [Phys. Rev. D54, 4955 (1996)] for a class of non-static global cosmic strings is studied. It is shown that they are not stable to both test particles and physical…
Casimir forces between material surfaces at close proximity of less than 200 nm can lead to increased chaotic behavior of actuating devices depending on the strength of the Casimir interaction. We investigate these phenomena for phase…
In our five-dimensional cosmological model, we investigate the role of a Lorentz violating vector "{\ae}ther" field on the moduli stabilization mechanism. We consider the case of a space-like {\ae}ther field on a compact circle with…
We explore the cosmological implications of quantum entanglement between two causally disconnected universes in the multiverse. We first consider two causally separated de Sitter spaces with a state which is initially entangled. We derive…
In discussions of the cosmological constant, the Casimir effect is often invoked as decisive evidence that the zero point energies of quantum fields are "real''. On the contrary, Casimir effects can be formulated and Casimir forces can be…
We present a study of the vacuum transition probabilities taking into account quantum corrections. We first introduce a general method that expands previous works employing the Lorentzian formalism of the Wheeler-De Witt equation by…
I discuss the implications of neutrino oscillations for neutrino mass patterns and mass matrices, and for neutrinoless double beta decay. I then go on to discuss the implications for cosmological relic density and dark matter, the galaxy…
The stability of scalar quintessence potentials under quantum fluctuations is investigated both for uncoupled models and models with a coupling to fermions. We find that uncoupled models are usually stable in the late universe. However, a…
One of the most disturbing difficulties in thinking about the cosmological constant is that it is not stable under radiative corrections. The feedback mechanism proposed in [hep-th/0306108] is a dynamical way to protect a zero or small…
We study the stabilities of quantum states of macroscopic systems, against noises, against perturbations from environments, and against local measurements. We show that the stabilities are closely related to the cluster property, which…
Quantum fields in compact stars can be amplified due to a semiclassical instability. This generic feature of scalar fields coupled to curvature may affect the birth and the equilibrium structure of relativistic stars. We point out that the…
Instabilities of equilibrium quantum mechanics are common and well-understood. They are manifested for example in phase transitions, where a quantum system becomes so sensitive to perturbations that a symmetry can be spontaneously broken.…
We study the problem of the behavior of a quantum massless scalar field in the space between two parallel infinite perfectly conducting plates, one of them stationary, the other moving periodically. We reformulate the physical problem into…