Perturbative check on the Casimir energies of nondispersive dielectric spheres

Jan, 1999
11 pages
Published in:
  • J.Phys.A 32 (1999) 525-535

Citations per year

19992005201120172022024681012
Abstract: (IOP)
For an optically dilute solid sphere of radiusaand dielectric constantindependent of frequency, the Casimir energyis evaluated to second order in, subject to an exponential cut-offon wavenumbers, using only standard perturbation theory and elementary mathematics. It is hoped that this can serve to elucidate other far more elaborate methods that aim to determineexactly by summing zero-point energies. For the electromagnetic field, the perturbative result readswithVthe volume andSthe surface area. The term of orderis related in a simple way to the Casimir-Polder (retarded) potential between polarizable bodies. This relation also yields some insight into the net pressure on a thin spherical shell.