Nonminimal coupling, quantum scalar field stress-energy tensor and energy conditions on global anti-de Sitter space-time

Abstract

We compute the renormalized expectation value of the stress-energy tensor operator for a quantum scalar field propagating on three-dimensional global anti-de Sitter space-time. The scalar field has general mass and nonminimal coupling to the Ricci scalar curvature, and is subject to Dirichlet, Neumann or Robin boundary conditions at the space-time boundary. We consider both vacuum and thermal states, and explore whether the weak and null energy conditions are satisfied by the quantum stress-energy tensor. We uncover a rather complicated picture: compliance with these two energy conditions depends strongly on the mass and coupling of the scalar field to the curvature, and the boundary conditions applied.