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Program Abstracts
(updated 3-16-2005 1:00 p.m. pst)
......................................................................................................................................................................
9:00 a.m.
Dr. Peter W. Milonni
Theoretical Division, Los Alamos
National Laboratory
Title:
Casimir Forces: From
Quantum Field Theory to MEMS
Abstract:
After a brief review of some history
of Casimir effects, this talk will focus on their significance for
basic quantum field theory and our understanding of vacuum field
fluctuations. Phenomena related to the dynamical Casimir effect, about
which there is much discussion but no experimental observations, will
also be considered, following which some possible implications for
Casimir effects in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) will be
briefly mentioned.
......................................................................................................................................................................
10:05 a.m.
Professor
Federico Capasso
Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard
University
Title:
The Control and Design of Quantum Fluctuations: Basic Science and
Applications of Quantum Electrodynamical Forces and Torques
between Macroscopic bodies
Abstract:
High precision measurements of the Casimir force by means
MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) will be presented including
recent data on tuning the Casimir force using hydrogen switchable
mirrors and on the observation of the skin depth effect when the
interacting surfaces are thin metallic films. Calculations of the
expected mechanical torque between birefringent plates induced by
vacuum fluctuations will be discussed along with a proposed experiment
to observe it, which utilizes repulsive retarded forces when the plates
are separated by a liquid of the appropriate dielectric constant to
create a virtually frictionless bearing. Possible technological
applications of the Casimir force will be discussed.
......................................................................................................................................................................
11:05 a.m.
Professor Leonid S. Levitov
Massachusettes Institute of Technology
Title:
Dissipative Casimir and van der Waals effects and their electrical analogs
Abstract:
When macroscopic solid objects interacting via electromagnetic
zero-point fluctuations are moving relative to one another, the
dynamical fluctuations give rise to mechanical dissipation and a drag
force. We shall discuss this effect and compare it to another, better
studied, effect, the electric drag. The latter is observed in
semiconductor 2D double quantum well structures when an electric
current in one well creates a voltage in parallel well. The mechanism
of electric drag, essentially identical to the dissipative Casimir and
van der Waals effects, suggests that these two effects are an
electrical and mechanical manifestation of the same underlying
phenomenon: dissipation caused by energy and momentum transfer
via electromagnetic zero-point fluctuations. Based on this analogy, we
discuss a new, electro-mechanical effect: an electrical current in one
solid induced by mechanical motion of another solid (or, conversely, a
mechanical drag force induced by a current).
......................................................................................................................................................................
11:55 a.m.
Title:
Casimir and
Van der Waals forces in Soft Matter.
Abstract:
In this talk I'll
describe some characteristic features of the Casimir and Van der Waals
forces in so-called soft matter systems (liquid crystals, membranes,
colloids etc). Specifically the effects of anisotropy (of dielectric
permeabilities, anchoring energy, particle shape and so on) are
investigated. Similar phenomena, e.g., entropic or depletion
interactions will be also briefly discussed.
......................................................................................................................................................................
2:15 p.m.
Umar Mohideen
University of California, Riverside
Title:
Measuring the Casimir Force with the Atomic Force Microscope
Abstract:
We will review our measurements of the normal and lateral Casimir force
and their material dependences. The measurements were done using
the Atomic Force Microscope. We will also discuss the limits on
hypothetical forces following from these measurements.
......................................................................................................................................................................
3:05 p.m.
Professor Joseph Rudnick
University of California, Los Angeles
1 R. Garcia and M. H. W. Chan, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1187 (1999).
2 R. Zandi, J. Rudnick, and M. Kardar, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 (2004).
Title:
Casimir Forces and the Thinning of Superfluid Helium Films
Abstract:
Recent
experiments by Garcia and Chan on the wetting of 4He have shown that
the film becomes thinner at the l transition and in the superfluid
phase1. This thinning is understood to be due to a Casimir force
mediated by critical fluctuations in the immediate vicinity of the
transition and to a Casimir force mediated by Goldstone modes deeper in
the superfluid phase. I will discuss what is understood and what is
still a mystery regarding the experimental results. In particular, I
will show how a full calculation of the effects of Goldstone modes
explains the thinning well in the superfluid phase2 but how existing
models for thinning as the result of critical point fluctuations fail
to account for the extent of observed film thinning immediately below
the l point.
......................................................................................................................................................................
4:20 p.m.
Professor Walter Kohn
Title:
The Casimir Effect and Time-Dependent DFT
Abstract:
Unretarded
Van der Waals energies are due to the interactions of time-dependent,
correlated density fluctuations. No wonder that a formulation
using time-dependent DFT is possible and natural. This will be
the subject of this talk. In principle this approach applies to
systems of virtually arbitrary geometrics and compositions.
......................................................................................................................................................................
5:10 p.m.
Professor
Igor Dzyaloshinskii
Title:
One more derivation of the Casimir friction.
Abstract:
The friction is
calculated as the average energy flux within the standard Quantum Field
Theory frame-work.
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