Casimir forces between beads on strings

Abstract

We consider a string with uniform energy density and tension and with a number of pointlike masses attached at fixed interdistances. We evaluate the effective interaction forces between these masses induced by the quantum fluctuations of the string. For interdistances large compared to the thickness of the string and small compared to the total length, these forces are universal and attractive and fall off, for large distances as $1/r^3$ and for small distances as $1/r$. The attractive nature of these forces creates an instability under which masses added to the string tend to aggregate.