Jan 22 – 24, 2025
Tours
Europe/Paris timezone

The stress-energy tensor of an Unruh-DeWitt detector

Jan 24, 2025, 10:30 AM
25m
Amphi E040, building E1, ground floor (Tours)

Amphi E040, building E1, ground floor

Tours

Institut Denis Poisson Université de Tours Facultés des Sciences et Techniques Parc de Grandmont 37200 Tours FRANCE
Regular Talk

Speaker

João Paulo Pitelli Manoel (State University of Campinas (UNICAMP))

Description

In this talk, we present a theoretical model to describe a finite-size particle detector, focusing on the derivation of its energy-momentum tensor from a covariant Lagrangian formulation. The model encompasses both the quantum field associated with the detector ($\phi_{\textrm{D}}$) and the elements responsible for its localization: a complex scalar field ($\psi_{\textrm{C}}$) and a perfect fluid. The local interaction between the detector and the complex field is designed to ensure the quadratic integrability of the detector modes, while the fluid plays a crucial role in defining the spatial profile of $\psi_{\textrm{C}}$, guaranteeing precise localization in space. Furthermore, we explore the physical properties of the resulting energy-momentum tensor, including all system components. We demonstrate that, under general conditions, the derived energy-momentum tensor is physically consistent and satisfies the energy conditions. This approach opens new perspectives for modeling detectors in quantum and relativistic scenarios, offering a robust framework for future applications in field theory.

Primary author

João Paulo Pitelli Manoel (State University of Campinas (UNICAMP))

Co-authors

Dr Daniel A. T. Vanzella (Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo) Mr Tales Rick Perche (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 2Y5, Canada)

Presentation materials

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