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PreprintCC BY 4.0arXiv

Measuring the Acceleration-Dependent Temperature of the Minkowski Vacuum

  • Daine L. Danielson
  • Netta Engelhardt
  • Lindley A. Winslow
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Abstract

Relativistic quantum field theory is the structure on which the Standard Model and beyond-Standard Model physics are built. One of its most striking predictions is the Unruh effect: an observer undergoing uniform linear acceleration measures the Minkowski vacuum as a thermal bath at a fixed temperature. Despite decades of theoretical interest, this effect has never been directly observed. We propose to use the high acceleration gradients provided by wakefield accelerators, coupled with a forward laboratory-frequency ~THz detector array, to measure the resulting forward-beamed radiation, and outline the unique signature provided by quantum detailed balance to extract the signal from backgrounds. While challenging, such a measurement appears within reach of present-day accelerator and detector technologies.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{danielson2026measuring,
  title = {{Measuring the Acceleration-Dependent Temperature of the Minkowski Vacuum}},
  author = {Daine L. Danielson and Netta Engelhardt and Lindley A. Winslow},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2607.17744},
  eprint = {2607.17744},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.17744},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Measuring the Acceleration-Dependent Temperature of the Minkowski Vacuum
AU  - Daine L. Danielson
AU  - Netta Engelhardt
AU  - Lindley A. Winslow
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/13
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2607.17744
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.17744
AB  - Relativistic quantum field theory is the structure on which the Standard Model and beyond-Standard Model physics are built. One of its most striking predictions is the Unruh effect: an observer undergoing uniform linear acceleration measures the Minkowski vacuum as a thermal bath at a fixed temperature. Despite decades of theoretical interest, this effect has never been directly observed. We propose to use the high acceleration gradients provided by wakefield accelerators, coupled with a forward laboratory-frequency ~THz detector array, to measure the resulting forward-beamed radiation, and outline the unique signature provided by quantum detailed balance to extract the signal from backgrounds. While challenging, such a measurement appears within reach of present-day accelerator and detector technologies.
ER  -