Gravitational shock waves and vacuum fluctuations

Hortacsu M., Ulker K.

CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM GRAVITY, vol.15, no.5, pp.1415-1420, 1998 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 15 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 1998
  • Doi Number: 10.1088/0264-9381/15/5/022
  • Journal Name: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM GRAVITY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.1415-1420
  • Istanbul Technical University Affiliated: No

Abstract

We show that the vacuum expectation value of the stress-energy tensor of a scalar particle on the background of a spherical gravitational shock wave does not give a finite expression in second-order perturbation theory, in contrast to the case seen for the impulsive wave. No infrared divergences appear at this order. This result shows that there is a qualitative difference between the shock and impulsive wave solutions which is not exhibited in first order.