vacuum catastrophy

[hoola]

I read of the theoretical values of the virtual particle's energy in space being orders of magnitude higher than what is observed. Virtual particles have less energy when in a confined space, such as the narrow plate gap in the casimir effect, with the energy of a particle pair lowered when in the close proximity of matter, due to limitations of the wavelength spectrum. But what limits their energy in space to the low readings they seem to have? If the only material around a particle pair is other particle pairs, could a self-limiting effect take place, giving the low value seen? What would happen if there is only one pair, and thus make up the entire universe? Without the "confinement" of any adjoining pair, could this naked pair of particles then be freed to express their maximum theoretical value? Doesn't laurence krauss describe the big bang as the result of a "quantum fluctuation"? Isn't this a similar idea to a "naked virtual particle pair"..expressing a high value of energy? After a bang occurs, the confinement commences, lowering values to those observed today as space expanded into the void as a sea of virtual particles carrying with it the matter and energy as the reaction residues.

Edited March 3, 2015 by hoola

[swansont]

One problem is that we don't measure absolute energy values, only differences between states. e.g. the Casimir effect is because of an energy difference in some mechanical configurations. QM says there is zero-point energy, but we can't measure it and can't extract it (it's the ground state). We measure something when it changes.

[hoola]

yes, since we can't replicate the energy differentials, only can compare the theoretical QM state with today's perceived state of the particles in their current environment...

[nobox]

Energy is a definition. A construct just like minus 3. There is no meaning in the word itself, and only 'apparent' in certain contexts.