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SUMMARY:From condensed matter to quantum gravity: the gravitational Casimi
 r-Polder force
DTSTART:20170116T140000
DTSTAMP:20260510T105801Z
UID:ecd2be03c61de37449ac0e6a10cad802719ebf539b555685f7bee856
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Johanna Karouby\nSince general relativity is a consistent low 
 energy effective field theory\, it is possible to compute quantum correcti
 ons to classical forces. I will present the computation of a quantum corre
 ction to the gravitational potential between a pair of polarizable objects
 . I will show the case of two distant bodies and compute a quantum force f
 rom their induced quadrupole moments due to two graviton exchange. The eff
 ect is in close analogy to the Casimir-Polder and London-van der Waals for
 ces between a pair of atoms from their induced dipole moments due to two p
 hoton exchange. The new effect is computed from the shift in vacuum energy
  of metric fluctuations due to the polarizability of the objects. I will p
 resent the computation for the potential energy at arbitrary distances com
 pared to the wavelengths in the system\, including the far and near regime
 s. In the far distance\, or retarded\, regime\, the potential energy takes
  on a particularly simple form. Finally\, I will provide estimates of this
  effect when applied to astrophysical objects such as neutron stars.
LOCATION:
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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