Suppose one knew almost no physics. One could easily compute the functional form of the Casimir force as

Casimir force ~ hcA/d^4

Where A = area of plates

d = separation of plates

from the idea that the force must decrease as separation of plates increases and that it must increase as area of plates increases all in the simplest way i.e. linearly as the area A.

Also it must depend on h and c.

But also note that hc has same dimensions as e^2, i.e. a classical electrostatic VdW effect that does not require infinite virtual photon energy densities and pressures that form INFINITE CURVATURE SINGULARITIES everywhere in space!

Therefore, attributing the Casimir force to FREE virtual photon pressure differences across the plates is far from compelling.

On Sep 19, 2004, at 10:03 PM, Jack Sarfatti wrote:

PS

Milonni assume zero length cutoff a -> 0, therefore INFINITE virtual photon zero point energies. He subtracts two infinite energies E(d) and E(infinity) to get a finite energy that appears to agree with an experimental result.

1. This violates Einstein's general theory of relativity where these virtual energies strongly warp space-time. This is essentially the cosmological constant problem that greatly worries Princeton's IAS Genius Ed Witten but does not seem to bother Hal Puthoff at his same name "IAS" in Austin. Well I suppose it is no surprise that another fellow from Austin now in The White House thinks things are going well in Iraq! Both seem out of touch with reality. :-)

2. In contrast, I do not look at E(d) - E(infinity) I keep a finite cutoff a, but I calculate FINITE E on both sides of each plate in the parallel plate experiment using only the relevant virtual photons from the relevant longitudinal modes along the normal to the planes of the plates and I take the total force

-(d/dx)[E(inside) + E(outside)] to get

Introducing vacuum coherence gives for the free virtual photon ZPF force

- (1/2)(hc/d^2)(A/a^2)[1 - a^3|Vacuum Coherence|^2]

d = separation of plates

A = area of plates

a = short-wave cutoff

This whole thing vanishes in ordinary vacuum because of the vacuum coherence that solves the cosmological constant problem as well.

The observed Casimir force ~ 1/d^4 must be calculated from summing over all molecules in both plates the retarded r^-7 VdW potential between two mutually induced electric dipoles one in each of the two plates.