Null energy condition violation: Tunnelling versus the Casimir effect

TY - JOUR

T1 - Null energy condition violation: Tunnelling versus the Casimir effect

AU - Alexandre, Jean

AU - Backhouse, Drew

N1 - 9 pages, 4 figures

PY - 2023/4/18

Y1 - 2023/4/18

N2 - We show that tunneling between two degenerate minima, as allowed in a finite volume, leads to a nonextensive symmetric ground state. This results in a null energy condition violation for sufficiently low temperatures, when a continuous set of momenta in the box containing the field is assumed. Taking into account discrete momenta can modify this picture and is achieved via the addition of the Casimir energy to the tunneling-induced ground state energy. Focusing on zero-temperature, these nontrivial effects are found to compete, depending on the typical length scales involved.

AB - We show that tunneling between two degenerate minima, as allowed in a finite volume, leads to a nonextensive symmetric ground state. This results in a null energy condition violation for sufficiently low temperatures, when a continuous set of momenta in the box containing the field is assumed. Taking into account discrete momenta can modify this picture and is achieved via the addition of the Casimir energy to the tunneling-induced ground state energy. Focusing on zero-temperature, these nontrivial effects are found to compete, depending on the typical length scales involved.

KW - hep-th

KW - hep-ph

KW - quant-ph

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.107.085022

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.107.085022

M3 - Article

SN - 2470-0029

VL - 107

JO - Physical Review D

JF - Physical Review D

ER -