Casimir effect, energy conservation

In summary, the Casimir effect is a result of virtual particles exerting a pressure on plates due to electromagnetic forces. This does not violate the conservation of energy and can be understood through advanced papers on the subject.
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Gabriele Pinna
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I was reading some articles about Casimir effect. It turns out that some virtual particles are created and suddenly disappears amd that these particles can exert a pressure on the plates. It seems that this creation breaks energy conservation law, but it cannot be.I would like to know which system provides the energy to actually create these particles.
 
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Why doesn't having two plates connected by a spring violate energy conservation?
 
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Gabriele Pinna said:
I was reading some articles about Casimir effect. It turns out that some virtual particles are created and suddenly disappears amd that these particles can exert a pressure on the plates. It seems that this creation breaks energy conservation law, but it cannot be.I would like to know which system provides the energy to actually create these particles.

Virtual particles do not actually exist - its one of a number of myths of QM:
https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0609163

This is a beginner level thread, but explaining what the Casimir Force really is, is an advanced topic. I will tell you the answer then refer you to advanced papers so you understand I am not just making this up. Its really just a relativistic Van der Waals force. You probably learned about Van der Waals forces in your chemistry class at HS - that's all that's really going on. Now for the papers justifying it:
http://www.theo.phys.ulg.ac.be/~cugnon/cas.pdf

And from the person that wrote the myths and facts paper I gave a link to:
https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.04143

Thanks
Bill
 
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Gabriele Pinna said:
I was reading some articles about Casimir effect. It turns out that some virtual particles are created and suddenly disappears amd that these particles can exert a pressure on the plates. It seems that this creation breaks energy conservation law, but it cannot be.I would like to know which system provides the energy to actually create these particles.
The Casimir force is just a collective effect of electromagnetic forces between charges that constitute atoms of which the Casimir plates are made. The electromagnetic force, of course, does not violate energy conservation.

For more details see also https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...vacuum-energy-and-a-bit-of-relativity.882958/
 
Last edited:

1. What is the Casimir effect?

The Casimir effect is a phenomenon in quantum field theory that describes the attractive force between two uncharged, parallel plates placed in a vacuum. This force is caused by the fluctuations of virtual particles in the vacuum.

2. How does the Casimir effect relate to energy conservation?

The Casimir effect does not violate the principle of energy conservation. While the force between the plates may seem to create energy out of nothing, the energy is actually coming from the vacuum fluctuations. In other words, the energy of the system is conserved.

3. Can the Casimir effect be observed in real life?

Yes, the Casimir effect has been observed experimentally. The most common method is to measure the force between two parallel plates using a sensitive force-measuring device. This force has been observed to decrease as the distance between the plates decreases, which is in line with the predictions of the Casimir effect.

4. Is the Casimir effect important in everyday life?

The Casimir effect is not a significant factor in everyday life. It has mainly been observed and studied in the context of quantum field theory and has potential applications in nanotechnology and other fields of physics.

5. Are there any practical applications of the Casimir effect?

While the Casimir effect is not directly applicable in everyday life, it has potential applications in various fields such as nanotechnology, quantum computing, and precision measurements. Researchers are also exploring ways to use the Casimir effect to create new types of materials with unique properties.

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