Stochastic electrodynamics

In theoretical physics, Stochastic electrodynamics (SED) refers to a theory which posits that the interaction of elementary particles with the vacuum radiation field, or zero-point field, is ultimately responsible for various familiar quantum phenomena. For the more common treatments of these phenomena, see quantum mechanics or individual references.

Brief history

Stochastic Electrodynamics (SED) is a term for a collection of research efforts of many different styles based on the ansatz that there exists random electromagnetic radiation with a power spectrum equal to $frac\{hbar\}\{2\; pi\}$ times the frequency, where $hbar$ is the Dirac constant. This particular type of background is identical to what in the usual formulation of quantum mechanics (QM) is the quantized ground state of free electromagnetic radiation, the quantum vacuum state. Thus, it can be said that SED is the inverse of QM. The main goal of SED is to rationalize QM by attributing quantum effects to this electromagnetic background.

The basic ideas have been around for a long time; but Trevor W. Marshall and T. Brafford seem to have been the originators of the more concentrated efforts starting in the 1960s. They found that the power spectrum of the quantum vacuum is, in a certain sense, Lorentz invariant, which gives it many nice properties enabling a classical modeling of some quantum phenomena. Thereafter, Timothy Boyer and the couple Louis de la Pena and Anna Marie Cetto were perhaps the most prolific contributors to SED in the 1970s and beyond. Others have made contributions, alterations and proposals.

Starting with the 1994 paper in the Physical Review "Inertia as a zero-point field reaction force", Bernard Haisch and Alfonso Rueda, sometimes joined by Harold E. Puthoff, have championed the notion that the inertia of a massive object may arise via an "electromagnetic reaction force" via interaction with the zero point field. This builds upon a much earlier proposal by Walther Nernst. In their non-technical papers Haisch and Rueda speculated that someday control of inertia might be possible.

Nature of SED

The zero point field can be thought of, roughly speaking, as a superposition of electromagnetic waves with random phases and directions, with a power distribution proportional to the cube of frequency. This spectrum diverges, implying that there is an infinite amount of energy at every point in space (as does conventional QM for different reasons). A cutoff frequency on the order of the reciprocal of the Planck time is often introduced in principle. Planck's constant then appears as a scale factor for quantum fluctuations in the zero point field.

The original motivation for SED is that it seeks to provide a "local realist foundation" for various effects of quantum field theory, including
#Casimir force
#van der Waals forces,
#diamagnetism
#Unruh effect
#de Broglie waves [A. F. Kracklauer, Found. Phys. Lett. 12 (2) 441-453 (1999)]
#radiative corrections in the theory of the quantum harmonic oscillatorAdditionally, Haisch and Rueda have tried to use SED to provide explanations for the phenomena of
#inertia
#gravitation

SED is not absolutely excluded by Bell inequality experiments due to the detection efficiency loophole. Other experiments, [G.Brida "et al.", Physics Letters A 299 (02) 121; Brida et al., Journal Modern Optics 11 (03) 1757] however, agree perfectly with Quantum Mechanics but are at variance with SED. SED has also been tested on the basis of the theoretical proposals [A. Casado "et al.", quant-ph 0202097; Journ.Opt.Soc. A B 14 (1997) 494, Phys.Rev.A 55 (1997) 3879, PRA 56 (1997) 2477, JOS A. B 15 (1998) 1572, Europ.Phys.Journ. D11 (2000) 465, D13 (2001) 109; Dechoum et al., Journal Modern Optics 47 (00) 1273.]

The work of Haisch and Rueda

According to Haisch and Rueda, inertia arises as an "electromagnetic drag force" on accelerating particles, produced by interaction with the zero-point field. In their 1998 Ann. Phys. paper (see citations), they speak of a "Rindler flux", presumably meaning the Unruh effect, and claim to have computed a nonzero "z.p.f. momentum". This computation rests upon their claim to compute a nonzero "z.p.f. Poynting vector".

According to Bill Unruh, Haisch and Rueda's computation is incorrect. In a post to sci.physics.research, mathematical physicist John Baez wrote (referring to an email from Unruh to Baez):

quotation
Unruh says that Haisch and Rueda's calculations are wrong, and that a correct calculation shows a uniformly accelerating observer zipping through the vacuum state of a quantized electromagnetic field on Minkowski spacetime sees a *perfectly thermalized* bath of photons.

In particular, this means such an observer will see no "Rindler flux" - "i.e.", the expectation value of the Poynting vector is zero. Or in less fancy language: there will be, on average, no net flux of momentum in the photons seen by the accelerating observer.

He gives a very simple argument showing that the expectation value of the Poynting vector *must* be zero: the whole situation is time-symmetric, and time reversal flips the direction of the Poynting vector!

He also says that Haisch and Rueda don't do a straightforward calculation; rather, they use the "Boyer stochastic field technique, together with assumptions I have never been able to figure out."

So, it seems pretty obvious that an accelerating observer in a quantized electromagnetic field will not see the "Rindler flux" predicted by Haisch and Rueda. Less obvious, but also reassuring to my intuition, is that the observer will simply see isotropic blackbody radiation! |John Baez, [http://groups.google.com/group/sci.physics.research/msg/c8777dd9b81f1b7f sci.physics.research, Sep 14 2001]

Internet culture

The proposals of Haisch and Rueda have been eagerly promoted at many websitesSpecify|date=September 2008 by "new energy" fans, who hope that the notion of zero point energy might ultimately provide no cost "energy from the vacuum", thereby solving many current problems in contemporary human society. OthersWho|date=September 2008 claim that the work of Haisch, Rueda, and Puthoff holds out hope of developing a reactionless drive which can be used to enable humans to visit far distant regions of the universe.Fact|date=September 2008 In the usual interpretation of vacuum energy it is not possible to use it to do work. [cite book | last = Gribbin | first = John | title = Q is for Quantum - An Encyclopedia of Particle Physics | publisher = Touchstone Books | year = 1998 | id = ISBN 0-684-86315-4]

Fictional References

Arthur C. Clarke describes a "SHARP drive" (for Sakharov, Haisch, Rueda and Puthoff) in his 1997 novel "". This follows speculation in (non-technical) papers by Haisch and Rueda on the control of inertia using SED principles.

ee also

* Casimir effect
* Polarizable vacuum
* Reactionless drive
* Rindler coordinates
* Vacuum energy
* Zero-point energy

* Andrei Sakharov
* Bernard Haisch
* Harold E. Puthoff

Notes

References

*
*
*
* ISBN 0-306-40277-7
* [http://www.padrak.com/ine/ZPESCIAM2.html online version] from [http://www.padrak.com/ PADRAK] , the website of Patrick Bailey, who publishes "New Energy News" in Salt Lake City, UT, and who promotes a cranky theory of "plasmoids", which he says "contradict theories about gravity and 'mass' "
* e-version: [http://nonloco-physics.000freehosting.com]
*
* [http://www.calphysics.org/articles/PRA94.pdf on-line version] from [http://www.calphysics.org/ Haisch's website]
* ISBN 0-7923-3818-9
* [http://www.arxiv.org/abs/physics/9802030 physics/9802030]
* [http://www.arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0504061 gr-qc/0504061]
*, a review paper

External links

* [http://www.calphysics.org/research.html California Institute for Physics and Astrophysics] , a physics organization founded by Bernard Haisch
* [http://www.rickross.com/reference/ufo/ufo6.html The CEO from Cyberspace: Joe Firmage, a master of the Universe at 28, Wants to Defy Gravity and Visit the Far Corners Of His Realm] , by Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, March 31, 1999 (as reproduced at http://www.rickross.com/)
* H. E. Puthoff, [http://www.ldolphin.org/zpe.html Quantum Vacuum Fluctuations: A New Rosetta Stone of Physics?] from [http://www.ldolphin.org Lambert Dolphin's website] ; Dolphin has claimed that the speed of light has measurably decreased during the past 300 years, that special relativity is incorrect, has promoted the claims of Tom Van Flandern, and so on