AdminKB42 at 20:44, 25 December 2022

2022-12-25T20:44:04Z

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	<nowiki></nowiki>Zero-point energy (ZPE) is the lowest possible [energy](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy</nowiki> "Energy") that a [quantum mechanical](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanical</nowiki> "Quantum mechanical") system may have. Unlike in [classical mechanics](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_mechanics</nowiki> "Classical mechanics"), quantum systems constantly [fluctuate](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_fluctuation</nowiki> "Quantum fluctuation") in their lowest energy state as described by the [Heisenberg uncertainty principle](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisenberg_uncertainty_principle</nowiki> "Heisenberg uncertainty principle").<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991137_1-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991137-1">[1]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> Therefore, even at [absolute zero](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_zero</nowiki> "Absolute zero"), atoms and molecules retain some vibrational motion. Apart from [atoms](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom</nowiki> "Atom") and [molecules](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecule</nowiki> "Molecule"), the empty space of [the vacuum](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_state</nowiki> "Vacuum state") also has these properties. According to [quantum field theory](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_field_theory</nowiki> "Quantum field theory"), the universe can be thought of not as isolated particles but continuous fluctuating [fields](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_(physics)</nowiki> "Field (physics)"): [matter](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter</nowiki> "Matter") fields, whose [quanta](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum</nowiki> "Quantum") are [fermions](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermions</nowiki> "Fermions") (i.e., [leptons](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepton</nowiki> "Lepton") and [quarks](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark</nowiki> "Quark")), and [force fields](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_field_(physics)</nowiki> "Force field (physics)"), whose quanta are [bosons](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boson</nowiki> "Boson") (e.g., [photons](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon</nowiki> "Photon") and [gluons](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluon</nowiki> "Gluon")). All these fields have zero-point energy.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMilonni199435_2-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEMilonni199435-2">[2]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> These fluctuating zero-point fields lead to a kind of reintroduction of an [aether](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminiferous_aether</nowiki> "Luminiferous aether") in physics<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991137_1-1"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991137-1">[1]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki><nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDavies2011_3-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDavies2011-3">[3]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> since some systems can detect the existence of this energy. However, this aether cannot be thought of as a physical medium if it is to be [Lorentz invariant](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorentz_invariant</nowiki> "Lorentz invariant") such that there is no contradiction with [Einstein's](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein</nowiki> "Albert Einstein") theory of [special relativity](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_relativity</nowiki> "Special relativity").<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991137_1-2"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991137-1">[1]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki>		<nowiki></nowiki>Zero-point energy ([[ZPE]]) is the lowest possible [energy](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy</nowiki> "Energy") that a [quantum mechanical](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanical</nowiki> "Quantum mechanical") system may have. Unlike in [classical mechanics](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_mechanics</nowiki> "Classical mechanics"), quantum systems constantly [fluctuate](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_fluctuation</nowiki> "Quantum fluctuation") in their lowest energy state as described by the [Heisenberg uncertainty principle](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisenberg_uncertainty_principle</nowiki> "Heisenberg uncertainty principle").<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991137_1-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991137-1">[1]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> Therefore, even at [absolute zero](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_zero</nowiki> "Absolute zero"), atoms and molecules retain some vibrational motion. Apart from [atoms](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom</nowiki> "Atom") and [molecules](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecule</nowiki> "Molecule"), the empty space of [the vacuum](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_state</nowiki> "Vacuum state") also has these properties. According to [quantum field theory](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_field_theory</nowiki> "Quantum field theory"), the universe can be thought of not as isolated particles but continuous fluctuating [fields](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_(physics)</nowiki> "Field (physics)"): [matter](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter</nowiki> "Matter") fields, whose [quanta](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum</nowiki> "Quantum") are [fermions](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermions</nowiki> "Fermions") (i.e., [leptons](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepton</nowiki> "Lepton") and [quarks](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark</nowiki> "Quark")), and [force fields](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_field_(physics)</nowiki> "Force field (physics)"), whose quanta are [bosons](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boson</nowiki> "Boson") (e.g., [photons](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon</nowiki> "Photon") and [gluons](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluon</nowiki> "Gluon")). All these fields have zero-point energy.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMilonni199435_2-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEMilonni199435-2">[2]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> These fluctuating zero-point fields lead to a kind of reintroduction of an [aether](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminiferous_aether</nowiki> "Luminiferous aether") in physics<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991137_1-1"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991137-1">[1]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki><nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDavies2011_3-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDavies2011-3">[3]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> since some systems can detect the existence of this energy. However, this aether cannot be thought of as a physical medium if it is to be [Lorentz invariant](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorentz_invariant</nowiki> "Lorentz invariant") such that there is no contradiction with [Einstein's](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein</nowiki> "Albert Einstein") theory of [special relativity](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_relativity</nowiki> "Special relativity").<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991137_1-2"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991137-1">[1]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki>

	The notion of a zero-point energy is also important for [cosmology](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmology</nowiki> "Cosmology"), and physics currently lacks a full theoretical model for understanding zero-point energy in this context; in particular, the discrepancy between theorized and observed vacuum energy in the universe is a source of major contention.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-4"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-4">[4]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> Physicists [Richard Feynman](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman</nowiki> "Richard Feynman") and [John Wheeler](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Archibald_Wheeler</nowiki> "John Archibald Wheeler") calculated the zero-point radiation of the vacuum to be an order of magnitude greater than [nuclear energy](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_energy</nowiki> "Atomic energy"), with a single light bulb containing enough energy to boil all the world's oceans.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPilkington2003_5-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPilkington2003-5">[5]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> Yet according to Einstein's theory of [general relativity](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_relativity</nowiki> "General relativity"), any such energy would gravitate, and the experimental evidence from the [expansion of the universe](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expansion_of_the_universe</nowiki> "Expansion of the universe"), [dark energy](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy</nowiki> "Dark energy") and the [Casimir effect](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect</nowiki> "Casimir effect") shows any such energy to be exceptionally weak. A popular proposal that attempts to address this issue is to say that the [fermion field](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermion_field</nowiki> "Fermion field") has a negative zero-point energy, while the [boson field](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boson_field</nowiki> "Boson field") has positive zero-point energy and thus these energies somehow cancel each other out.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWeinberg2015376_6-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEWeinberg2015376-6">[6]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki><nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991138_7-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991138-7">[7]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> This idea would be true if [supersymmetry](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supersymmetry</nowiki> "Supersymmetry") were an exact [symmetry of nature](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetry_(physics)</nowiki> "Symmetry (physics)"); however, the [LHC](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LHC</nowiki> "LHC") at [CERN](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN</nowiki> "CERN") has so far found no evidence to support it. Moreover, it is known that if supersymmetry is valid at all, it is at most a [broken symmetry](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetry_breaking</nowiki> "Symmetry breaking"), only true at very high energies, and no one has been able to show a theory where zero-point cancellations occur in the low-energy universe we observe today.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991138_7-1"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991138-7">[7]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> This discrepancy is known as the [cosmological constant problem](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmological_constant_problem</nowiki> "Cosmological constant problem") and it is one of the greatest [unsolved mysteries in physics](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unsolved_problems_in_physics</nowiki> "List of unsolved problems in physics"). Many physicists believe that "the vacuum holds the key to a full understanding of nature".<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDavies1985104_8-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDavies1985104-8">[8]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki>		The notion of a zero-point energy is also important for [cosmology](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmology</nowiki> "Cosmology"), and physics currently lacks a full theoretical model for understanding zero-point energy in this context; in particular, the discrepancy between theorized and observed vacuum energy in the universe is a source of major contention.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-4"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-4">[4]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> Physicists [Richard Feynman](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman</nowiki> "Richard Feynman") and [John Wheeler](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Archibald_Wheeler</nowiki> "John Archibald Wheeler") calculated the zero-point radiation of the vacuum to be an order of magnitude greater than [nuclear energy](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_energy</nowiki> "Atomic energy"), with a single light bulb containing enough energy to boil all the world's oceans.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPilkington2003_5-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPilkington2003-5">[5]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> Yet according to Einstein's theory of [general relativity](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_relativity</nowiki> "General relativity"), any such energy would gravitate, and the experimental evidence from the [expansion of the universe](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expansion_of_the_universe</nowiki> "Expansion of the universe"), [dark energy](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy</nowiki> "Dark energy") and the [Casimir effect](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect</nowiki> "Casimir effect") shows any such energy to be exceptionally weak. A popular proposal that attempts to address this issue is to say that the [fermion field](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermion_field</nowiki> "Fermion field") has a negative zero-point energy, while the [boson field](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boson_field</nowiki> "Boson field") has positive zero-point energy and thus these energies somehow cancel each other out.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWeinberg2015376_6-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEWeinberg2015376-6">[6]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki><nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991138_7-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991138-7">[7]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> This idea would be true if [supersymmetry](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supersymmetry</nowiki> "Supersymmetry") were an exact [symmetry of nature](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetry_(physics)</nowiki> "Symmetry (physics)"); however, the [LHC](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LHC</nowiki> "LHC") at [CERN](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN</nowiki> "CERN") has so far found no evidence to support it. Moreover, it is known that if supersymmetry is valid at all, it is at most a [broken symmetry](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetry_breaking</nowiki> "Symmetry breaking"), only true at very high energies, and no one has been able to show a theory where zero-point cancellations occur in the low-energy universe we observe today.<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTESciama1991138_7-1"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTESciama1991138-7">[7]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki> This discrepancy is known as the [cosmological constant problem](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmological_constant_problem</nowiki> "Cosmological constant problem") and it is one of the greatest [unsolved mysteries in physics](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unsolved_problems_in_physics</nowiki> "List of unsolved problems in physics"). Many physicists believe that "the vacuum holds the key to a full understanding of nature".<nowiki><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDavies1985104_8-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDavies1985104-8">[8]</a></nowiki><nowiki></sup></nowiki>

AdminKB42: Created page with " Zero-point energy (ZPE) is the lowest possible [energy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy "Energy") that a [quantum mechanical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanical "Quantum mechanical") system may have. Unlike in [classical mechanics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_mechanics "Classical mechanics"), quantum systems constantly [fluctuate](https://en.wikipedia.org/..."

2022-12-25T20:41:26Z

Created page with " <nowiki>**</nowiki>Zero-point energy** (**ZPE**) is the lowest possible [energy](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy</nowiki> "Energy") that a [quantum mechanical](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanical</nowiki> "Quantum mechanical") system may have. Unlike in [classical mechanics](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_mechanics</nowiki> "Classical mechanics"), quantum systems constantly [fluctuate](<nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/..."

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AdminKB42 at 20:44, 25 December 2022