We review new constraints on the Yukawa-type corrections to Newtonian gravity obtained recently from gravitational experiments and from the measurements of the Casimir force. Special attention is paid to the constraints following from the most precise dynamic determination of the Casimir pressure between the two parallel plates by means of a micromechanical torsional oscillator. The possibility of setting limits on the predictions of chameleon field theories using the results of gravitational experiments and Casimir force measurements is discussed.
We study the Casimir interaction energy due to the vacuum fluctuations of the Electromagnetic (EM) field in the presence of two mirrors, described by $2+1$-dimensional, generally nonlocal actions, which may contain both parity-conserving and parity-breaking terms. We compare the results with the ones corresponding to Chern-Simons boundary conditions, and evaluate the interaction energy for several particular situations.
We study the Casimir effect for scalar fields with general curvature coupling subject to mixed boundary conditions $(1+beta_{m}n^{mu}partial_{mu})phi =0$ at $x=a_{m}$ on one ($m=1$) and two ($m=1,2$) parallel plates at a distance $aequiv a_{2}-a_{1}$ from each other. Making use of the generalized Abel-Plana formula previously established by one of the authors cite{Sahrev}, the Casimir energy densities are obtained as functions of $beta_{1}$ and of $beta_{1}$,$beta_{2}$,$a$, respectively. In the case of two parallel plates, a decomposition of the total Casimir energy into volumic and superficial contributions is provided. The possibility of finding a vanishing energy for particular parameter choices is shown, and the existence of a minimum to the surface part is also observed. We show that there is a region in the space of parameters defining the boundary conditions in which the Casimir forces are repulsive for small distances and attractive for large distances. This yields to an interesting possibility for stabilizing the distance between the plates by using the vacuum forces.
In this manuscript we compute corrections to the global Casimir effect at zero and finite temperature due to Rainbows Gravity (parametrized by $xi$). For this we use the solutions for the scalar field with mass $m$ in the deformed Schwarzschild background and the corresponding quantized energies of the system, which represent the stationary states of the field and yield the stable part of the quantum vacuum energy. The analysis is made here by considering the limit for which the source mass, $M$, approaches zero, in order to verify the effects on the global Casimir effect in mini black holes near to the Planck scale, $omega_P$. We find a singular behavior for the regularized vacuum energy at zero temperature and for all the corresponding thermodynamic quantities when $m^2=omega^2_P/xi$, what can be seen as the limit of validity of the model. Furthermore, we show that the remnant Casimir tension over the event horizon in the limit $Mto 0$ is finite for any temperature and all the space of parameters. In fact we show that the remnant tension receives no corrections from Rainbows Gravity. This points to the fact that such a behavior may be an universal property of this kind of system.
Casimir and Casimir-Polder repulsion have been known for more than 50 years. The general Lifshitz configuration of parallel semi-infinite dielectric slabs permits repulsion if they are separated by a dielectric fluid that has a value of permittivity that is intermediate between those of the dielectric slabs. This was indirectly confirmed in the 1970s, and more directly by Capassos group recently. It has also been known for many years that electrically and magnetically polarizable bodies can experience a repulsive quantum vacuum force. More amenable to practical application are situations where repulsion could be achieved between ordinary conducting and dielectric bodies in vacuum. The status of the field of Casimir repulsion with emphasis on recent developments will be surveyed. Here, stress will be placed on analytic developments, especially of Casimir-Polder (CP) interactions between anisotropically polarizable atoms, and CP interactions between anisotropic atoms and bodies that also exhibit anisotropy, either because of anisotropic constituents, or because of geometry. Repulsion occurs for wedge-shaped and cylindrical conductors, provided the geometry is sufficiently asymmetric, that is, either the wedge is sufficiently sharp or the atom is sufficiently far from the cylinder.
An upper limit to non-Newtonian attracive forces is obtained from the measurement of quantum states of neutrons in the Earths gravitational field. This limit improves the existing constrains in the nanometer range.