On the physical meaning of the Unruh effect
E. T. Akhmedov, D.Singleton1) +
ITEP, 117218 Moscow, Russia
+Physics Department, CSU Fresno, Fresno, CA 93740-8031, USA
PACS: 04.62.+v
Abstract
We present simple arguments that detectors moving with constant
acceleration (even acceleration for a finite time) should detect
particles. The effect is seen to be universal. Moreover, detectors
undergoing linear acceleration and uniform, circular motion both
detect particles for the same physical reason. We show that if one
uses a circularly orbiting electron in a constant external
magnetic field as the Unruh-DeWitt detector, then the Unruh
effect physically coincides with the experimentally verified
Sokolov-Ternov effect.