Electron-mirror duality and thermality

Classical electromagnetic radiation from moving point charges is foundational, but the thermal dynamics responsible for classical acceleration temperature are poorly understood. We investigate the thermal properties of classical electromagnetic radiation in the context of the correspondence between accelerated electrons and moving mirrors, focusing on three trajectories with asymptotically infinite (Davies–Fulling), asymptotically zero (Walker–Davies), and eternally uniform acceleration. The latter two are argued not to be thermal, while the former is found to emit thermal photons with a temperature that depends on the electron’s speed. Thermal radiation occurs in the absence of jerk.. Authors: Ievlev, Evgenii [University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)]; Good, Michael R. R. [Nazarbayev University, Astana (Kazakhstan); National Taiwan University, Taipei (Taiwan)]; Davies, Paul C. W. [Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (United States)]. DOE Contract: SC0011842. Subjects: 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS