Two new physics blogs have been assimilated by the ScienceBlog conglomerate...
Blake at Science after Sunclipse
Matt is currently contemplating the classic paradox of the free-falling electron...
Anyone care to wander over and explain Rindler Acceleration and the Unruh Effect to the assembled hordes - I think you'll need to bring beer
;-)
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"Rindler Acceleration" - isn't that what enables Santa's reindeer to fly?
I don't see any beer!
Let the grad students figure out applications for themselves.
But, what are the observables?
I don't think Unruh radiation really has to do with the problem of the falling electron.
As I understand it, Unruh radiation has to do with how an accelerating particle interacts with the vacuum fields. The Larmor formula, however, comes from the accelerating particle's own field.
For example, if you're thinking that the radiation is simply scattered Unruh radiation, then consider an electron and a proton both instantaneously at rest but with the same acceleration. According to the Larmor formula, both will emit the same amount of radiation (since gamma is 1). Both also experience the same Unruh temperature, and so the same radiation energy density. However, the proton won't scatter as much, since its Thomson cross section is much smaller; the Larmor formula would require that it scatters as much.
Still no beer...
Everyone go to Matt's blog, and bring beer!