Related papers: Probability distributions for quantum stress tenso…
We treat the probability distributions for quadratic quantum fields, averaged with a Lorentzian test function, in four-dimensional Minkowski vacuum. These distributions share some properties with previous results in two-dimensional…
We obtain in closed form the probability distribution for individual measurements of the stress-energy tensor of two-dimensional conformal field theory in the vacuum state, smeared in time against a Gaussian test function. The result is a…
The vacuum state -- or any other state of finite energy -- is not an eigenstate of any smeared (averaged) local quantum field. The outcomes (spectral values) of repeated measurements of that averaged local quantum field are therefore…
As the vacuum state of a quantum field is not an eigenstate of the Hamiltonian density, the vacuum energy density can be represented as a random variable. We present an analytical calculation of the probability distribution of the vacuum…
We extend previous work on quantum stress tensor operators which have been averaged over finite time intervals to include averaging over finite regions of space as well. The space and time averaging can be viewed as describing a measurement…
The probability distribution for vacuum fluctuations of the energy flux in two dimensions will be constructed, along with the joint distribution of energy flux and energy density. Our approach will be based on previous work on probability…
A meaningful probability distribution for measurements of a quantum stress tensor operator can only be obtained if the operator is averaged in time or in spacetime. This averaging can be regarded as a description of the measurement process.…
Large vacuum fluctuations of a quantum stress tensor operator can be described by the asymptotic behavior of the probability distribution of the time or spacetime averaged operator. Here we focus on the case of stress tensor operators…
Measurements of a weighted energy density average taken in the vacuum state of a conformal field theory in $1+1$ dimensions are randomly distributed with vanishing expectation value. The probability distribution is computed in closed form…
This is a review of recent work on quantum fluctuations of the electric field and of stress tensor operators and their physical effects. The probability distribution for vacuum fluctuations of the electric field is Gaussian, but that for…
In a previous paper, a bound on the negative energy density seen by an arbitrary inertial observer was derived for the free massless, quantized scalar field in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. This constraint has the form of an…
This paper presents a new, non-Gaussian formulation of stochastic gravity by incorporating the higher moments of the fluctuations of the quantum stress energy tensor for a free quantum scalar field in a consistent way. A scheme is developed…
Quantum field theory allows for the suppression of vacuum fluctuations, leading to sub-vacuum phenomena. One of these is the appearance of local negative energy density. Selected aspects of negative energy will be reviewed, including the…
We generalize some results of Ford and Roman constraining the possible behaviors of renormalized expected stress-energy tensors of a free massless scalar field in two dimensional Minkowski spacetime. Ford and Roman showed that the energy…
Probability distributions and densities are derived for the excess and deficiency of the intensity or instantaneous energy (quasi-static power) associated with a $p$-dimensional random vector field. Explicit expressions for the exact…
For quantum fields on a curved spacetime with an Euclidean section, we derive a general expression for the stress energy tensor two-point function in terms of the effective action. The renormalized two-point function is given in terms of…
The fluctuations of spacetime geometries at finite temperature are evaluated within the linearized theory of gravity. These fluctuations are described by the probability distribution of various configurations of the gravitational field. The…
We generalise results of Ford and Roman which place lower bounds -- known as quantum inequalities -- on the renormalised energy density of a quantum field averaged against a choice of sampling function. Ford and Roman derived their results…
This paper discusses two distinct, but related issues in quantum fluctuation effects. The first is the frequency spectrum which can be assigned to one loop quantum processes. The formal spectrum is a flat one, but the finite quantum effects…
We extend previous work on the numerical diagonalization of quantum stress tensor operators in the Minkowski vacuum state, which considered operators averaged in a finite time interval, to operators averaged in a finite spacetime region.…