Text: Quantum Vacuum Energy Given the nature of the quantum vacuum and its fluctuations, it can be imagined that there is a lot of energy out there floating around in the vacuum: is there any way to get hold of it? The second law of thermodynamics might suggest not, but that law is not cognizant of quantum field theory (nor of gravity). There are occasional discussions on whether vacuum energy can be exploited, typically used to power electrical or mechanical devices, an example is Yam [361] (1997) who concludes that zero-point energy probably cannot be tapped, see also §3.7 where the exploitation of Casimir energy is discussed. Xue [399] (2000) presents and studies a possible mechanism of extracting energies from the vacuum by external classical fields.Taking a constant magnetic field as an example, he discusses why and how the vacuum energy can be released in the context of quantum field theories. In addition, he gives a theoretical computation showing how much vacuum energies can be released. He discusses the possibilities of experimentally detecting such a vacuum-energy releasing. Scandurra [410] (2001) extends the fundamental laws of thermodynamics and of the concept of entropy to the ground state fluctuations of quantum fields. He critically analyzes a device to extract energy from the vacuum. He finds that no energy can be extracted cyclically from the vacuum. There are three things [that] suggest a positive possibility of energy extraction. Firstly, the theory of quantum evaporation from ³black holes² can be thought of as a form of energy extraction from the quantum vacuum. Secondly, the inflationary universe can also be thought of as extracting energy from the vacuum, see §4.4. So there is the possibility that what is happening in either of those cases could be made to happen in a controlled way in a laboratory. The third thing is an analogy: it is said in physics text books that you can not extract the vast amount of thermal energy in the sea, because there is no lower temperature heat bath available; so it is unavailable energy, despite there being so much of it there. Ellis [113] (1979) pointed out that in fact it can be extracted when you remember that the dark night sky acts as a heat sink at 3K (the temperature of the Cosmic background radiation). In some ways this seems reminiscent of the energy bath that is the quantum vacuum. If some particles in that vacuum have an effective energy of greater than 3K, maybe one can radiate them off to the night sky and leave their partner behind. ‹Mark D. Roberts, Vacuum Energy http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/hep-th/pdf/0012/0012062.pdf

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