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Surprises in Theoretical Casimir Physics

Quantum Forces in Inhomogeneous Media

  • Book
  • © 2015

Overview

Authors:
  1. William M. R. Simpson

    1. Department of Physics of Complex Systems, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

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  • Nominated as an outstanding Ph.D. thesis by the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
  • Presents compelling evidence of unresolved problems in the theory of Casimir forces
  • An interdisciplinary treatise applying techniques from Transformation Optics
  • Opens up new vistas for research in Casimir Physics
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: Springer Theses (Springer Theses)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxiv
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  2. Foundations of Casimir Theory

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Introduction

      • William M. R. Simpson
      Pages 3-24

    3. Macroscopic Quantum Electrodynamics

      • William M. R. Simpson
      Pages 25-56

    4. The Quantum Nature of the Casimir Force

      • William M. R. Simpson
      Pages 57-67

  3. Surprises in Casimir Theory

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 69-69
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    2. The Cut-off Independence of the Casimir Energy

      • William M. R. Simpson
      Pages 71-90

    3. The Divergence of the Casimir Stress

      • William M. R. Simpson
      Pages 91-115

  4. Conundrums in Casimir Theory

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 117-117
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    2. The Casimir Force in a ‘Compressive’ Medium

      • William M. R. Simpson
      Pages 119-132

    3. The Casimir Force in Maxwell’s Fish-Eye

      • William M. R. Simpson
      Pages 133-148

    4. Outlook

      • William M. R. Simpson
      Pages 149-156

  5. Back Matter

    Pages 157-177
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Keywords

About this book

Despite more than half a century of theoretical work, the Casimir effect is still not as fully understood as some suppose. In this treatise, the author uncovers new puzzles and paradoxes concerning this mysterious phenomenon. In particular, he clearly demonstrates that the most sophisticated theories fail when confronted with dielectrics in which the refractive index is not uniform but gradually changes.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Physics of Complex Systems, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

    William M. R. Simpson

About the author

William Simpson is a postdoctoral fellow at The Weizmann Institute, Israel. He completed his PhD at the University of St Andrews in 2014, having graduated with a first class MPhys in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics in 2010 and been awarded a SUPA Prize Doctoral Studentship. During the course of his research on Casimir forces, William was a visiting student at the University of Trento and The Weizmann Institute. He also founded a Physics & Philosophy Society (PhysPhil), and was the chief organiser of St Andrews' first two Philosophy of Physics conferences and the Foundations of Casimir Physics symposium in Stockholm.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Surprises in Theoretical Casimir Physics

  • Book Subtitle: Quantum Forces in Inhomogeneous Media

  • Authors: William M. R. Simpson

  • Series Title: Springer Theses

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09315-4

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-09314-7Published: 03 December 2014

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-36400-1Published: 10 September 2016

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-09315-4Published: 19 November 2014

  • Series ISSN: 2190-5053

  • Series E-ISSN: 2190-5061

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXIV, 177

  • Number of Illustrations: 5 b/w illustrations, 23 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Quantum Field Theories, String Theory, Classical Electrodynamics, Elementary Particles, Quantum Field Theory

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