Mathematical Physics and Harmonic Analysis Seminar

Date: February 23, 2018

Time: 1:50PM - 2:50PM

Location: BLOC 628

Speaker: George E. A. Matsas, Instituto de Fisica Teorica, Universidade Estadual Paulista

Title: Overview of the Unruh Effect for Mathematicians

Abstract: The Unruh effect is interesting to physicists and mathematicians. Unveiled by a physicist, Bill Unruh, in 1975, it vindicated Steve Fulling's surprising conclusion that different observers extract, in general, different particle contents from the same field theory (e.g., inertial observers in the usual vacuum would freeze to death at 0 K, where observers accelerated enough may burn into ashes). This seminar is designed for mathematicians who are not acquainted with quantum field theory but wish to understand what the Unruh effect means, up to what extent we must trust it, and why it is so important to our comprehension of some conceptual issues.