Abstract
We consider radiation from a uniformly accelerated harmonic oscillator whose minimal coupling to a scalar field changes suddenly. The exact time evolutions of the quantum operators are given in terms of a classical solution of a forced harmonic oscillator. After the jumping of the coupling constant there occurs a fast absorption of energy into the oscillator, and then a slow emission follows. Here the absorbed energy is independent of the acceleration and proportional to the logarithm of a high momentum cutoff of the field. The emitted energy depends on the acceleration and is also proportional to the logarithm of the cutoff. Especially, if the coupling is comparable to the natural frequency of the oscillator enormous energies radiate away from it.
- Received 4 March 1996
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.56.3537
©1997 American Physical Society