Quantum inequalities and singular negative energy densities

Nov, 1997
18 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.D 57 (1998) 4839-4846
e-Print:
Report number:
  • TUTP-97-11

Citations per year

1998200420102016202201234
Abstract: (arXiv)
There has been much recent work on quantum inequalities to constrain negative energy. These are uncertainty principle-type restrictions on the magnitude and duration of negative energy densities or fluxes. We consider several examples of apparent failures of the quantum inequalities, which involve passage of an observer through regions where the negative energy density becomes singular. We argue that this type of situation requires one to formulate quantum inequalities using sampling functions with compact support. We discuss such inequalities, and argue that they remain valid even in the presence of singular energy densities.
Note:
  • 18 pages, LaTex, 2 figures, uses epsf
  • energy: density
  • singularity
  • space-time
  • black hole