A new technique in which atoms move slowly through a diffraction grating lets researchers measure the tiny Casimir-Polder interaction, force that arises from quantum vacuum fluctuations.

Zusammenfassung Ein prognostizierter erhöhter Wasserbedarf für die Bewässerungslandwirtschaft im Zuge des Klimawandels und drohenden längeren Trockenperioden stellt Verfügbarkeit der Grundwasserressourcen in Deutschland eine Herausforderung dar. Es ist abzusehen, dass Landwirtschaft zukünftig noch stärker Bewässerung von Agrarflächen nutzen wird. In vorliegenden Studie wird das nutzbare Grundwa...

We investigate the Dirichlet-scalar equivalent of Casimir-Polder forces between an atom and a surface with arbitrary uniaxial corrugations. The complexity of the problem can be reduced to a one-dimensional Green’s function equation along the corrugation which can be solved numerically. Our technique is fully nonperturbative in the height profile of the corrugation. We present explicit results f...

The media plays an increasing role in the functioning of our society, often being the main informant of citizens and policy-makers. Controversies easily arise when the media are accused of inaccurate or biased information provision, such as the affair around the BBC and the suicide of David Kelly in the UK and the alleged demonisation of Pim Fortuyn before his assassination in the Netherlands. ...