Thermodynamics of the Casimir Effect - Asymptotic Considerations -

Abstract

We study the Casimir effect with different temperatures between the plates ($T$) resp. outside of them ($T'$). If we consider the inner system as the black body radiation for a special geometry, then contrary to common belief the temperature approaches a constant value for vanishing volume during isentropic processes. This means: the reduction of the degrees of freedom can not be compensated by a concentration of the energy during an adiabatic contraction of the two-plate system. Looking at the Casimir pressure, we find one unstable equilibrium point for isothermal processes with $T > T'$. For isentropic processes there is additionally one stable equilibrium point for larger values of the distances between the two plates.}