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arXiv · gr-qc/9607003

Restrictions on Negative Energy Density in Flat Spacetime

L. H. Ford·Thomas A. Roman
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Abstract

In a previous paper, a bound on the negative energy density seen by an arbitrary inertial observer was derived for the free massless, quantized scalar field in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. This constraint has the form of an uncertainty principle-type limitation on the magnitude and duration of the negative energy density. That result was obtained after a somewhat complicated analysis. The goal of the current paper is to present a much simpler method for obtaining such constraints. Similar ``quantum inequality'' bounds on negative energy density are derived for the electromagnetic field, and for the massive scalar field in both two and four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime.

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L. H. Ford, Thomas A. Roman. 1997-01-24. Restrictions on Negative Energy Density in Flat Spacetime. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.55.2082

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