Finite temperature Casimir effect of massive fermionic fields in the presence of compact dimensions

• Published in: Physics letters. B Vol. 703; no. 2; pp. 199 - 207
• Main Authors: Khoo, F.S., Teo, L.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 07.09.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Asymptotic properties; Boundary conditions; Elementary particles; Exact sciences and technology; Extra compactified dimensions; Finite temperature Casimir effect; Free energy; Massive fermionic field; Mathematical analysis; MIT bag boundary conditions; Nuclear physics; Parallel plates; Phases; Physics; Plates; The physics of elementary particles and fields; MIT bag boundary conditions; Extra compactified dimensions; Massive fermionic field; Finite temperature Casimir effect; Massive field; Space-time; Compact torus; Periodicity; Fermion field; Boundary conditions; Casimir effect; High temperature; Free energy; Low temperature; Parallel plate
• ISSN: 0370-2693; 1873-2445
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2011.07.072

We consider the finite temperature Casimir effect of a massive fermionic field confined between two parallel plates, with MIT bag boundary conditions on the plates. The background spacetime is Mp+1×Tq which has q dimensions compactified to a torus. On the compact dimensions, the field is assumed to satisfy periodicity boundary conditions with arbitrary phases. Both the high temperature and the low temperature expansions of the Casimir free energy and the force are derived explicitly. It is found that the Casimir force acting on the plates is always attractive at any temperature regardless of the boundary conditions assumed on the compact torus. The asymptotic limits of the Casimir force in the small plate separation limit are also obtained.