dc.description.abstract | In my previous thesis for the Undergraduate Research Scholars program I have calculated, both in terms of the scalar field and in terms of the cylinder kernel, the components of the stress-energy tensor of a quantized scalar field for a static, cylindrically symmetric system in the case of locally flat space. I then took these components and expressed them in terms of the known cylinder kernel in cylindrical coordinates. Using these results, I examine the vacuum energy density and pressure in some detail for several different cylindrically symmetric space-times. Results are presented for point-splitting along the t direction, and also for point-splitting along z. Geometries studied include flat space, a cone with various deficit angles, an infinite wedge, and the infinite-sheeted Sommerfeld-Dowker manifold. For all of these cases, the energy density and three pressure components are given for
xi = 1/4 coupling, and the correction terms for other values of xi are given as well. | |