Force from Equilibrium Fluctuation

(from classical to quantum and back!)


 Pressure  is a force from restriction of particle fluctuations

         

yellow ball Force per unit area is a bulk property (function of equilibrium state)

independent of the shape of the container and potentials at the wall

independent of the dynamics of the particles (momentum integrations)

yellow ball For a dilute gas:      (non-universal corrections)


 Radiation:  Photon density is temperature dependent:

Stefan-Boltzmann law of black-body pressure:


Casimir Force: Virtual photons (QED fluctuations) at low temperatures:                    

yellow ball "On the attraction between two perfectly conducting plates," H.B.G. Casimir, Proc. K. Ned. Akad. Wet. 51, 793 (1948)

yellow ball Quantum fluctuations of electromagnetic field in the vacuum between leads to an attractive force between perfect mirrors

        

yellow ball "The Theory of Molecular Attractive Forces Between Solids," E.M. Lifshitz, Soviet Physics 2, 73 (1956),

 Generalizes above by considering fluctuating current sources in the bodies, and at finite temperatures.

yellow ball  Since 1995 confirmed in myriad experiments.


Lateral Casimir Force: A sideways force to "align" corrugated plates  into position of minimum energy:

   

yellow ball "Mechanical Response of Vacuum," Golestanian, & Kardar, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 3421 (1997)

yellow ball "Demonstration of the Lateral Casimir Force," F. Chen, U. Mohideen, et. al , Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 101801 (2002)