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.