Friction of the vacuum could slow the rotation of pulsars

[Plazma Inferno!]

A vacuum is by definition a space entirely devoid of matter, so one might naturally assume that objects in a vacuum do not encounter friction. However, quantum physics implies that the vacuum is not actually completely empty, but is rather filled with ghostly particles wavering in and out of existence. Now astrophysicists suggest that analyzing rapidly spinning dead stars might reveal whether or not “quantum vacuum friction” exists.
The uncertainty principle suggests that the universe can borrow energy from nothing for a short amount of time in the form of “virtual” particles that fleetingly blip in and out of existence in a vacuum. Those particles can potentially exert an influence on their surroundings. Previous research suggested that friction from such virtual particles should slow down spinning objects. The recent findings suggest that one could detect such quantum vacuum friction by looking at rapidly spinning dead stars known as pulsars.

http://blog.pnas.org/2016/08/journal-club-friction-of-the-vacuum-could-slow-the-rotation-of-pulsars/

Paper: http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/0004-637X/823/2/97/pdf

 

[paddoboy]

Yep, I see that as reasonably logical, and points to the periods in the far far distant future when even BH's have negated all their spin, and are near evaporated via Hawking Radiation, leaving a cold dead universe with onlt possibly proton decay to take place.

 

[The God]

Things are getting real, slowly slowly.

 

[Daecon]

Would that mean the virtual particles are absorbing the kinetic energy of the pulsars? Where would that energy go when the virtual particles are annihilated?

 

[paddoboy]

The Casimir effect I suggest adds support to the gist of the OP.

 

[The God]

Would that mean the virtual particles are absorbing the kinetic energy of the pulsars? Where would that energy go when the virtual particles are annihilated?

Virtual particles absorbing KE of pulsars and annihilation of virtual particles ?

Thats no science at all, there is no real existence of virtual particles in nature even as per science. It is again you know what a maths tool.

 

[paddoboy]

Would that mean the virtual particles are absorbing the kinetic energy of the pulsars? Where would that energy go when the virtual particles are annihilated?

Good question! Obviously the god is at a loss to answer it......
I did find the following that may help....................
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Quantum/virtual_particles.html

and

https://www.quora.com/Do-virtual-particles-violate-the-law-of-conservation-of-energy

 

[The God]

Paddoboy,

Pl learn something about the concept of virtual particles, a misnomer as they are no particles, then participate in the discussion. You Google and copy paste links without knowing about the contents is getting funnier day by day.

Are you telling Daecon that they absorb the energy of pulsars ?

 

[Daecon]

Thats no science at all, there is no real existence of virtual particles in nature even as per science.

So magnets aren't real?

 

[paddoboy]

Paddoboy,

Pl learn something about the concept of virtual particles, a misnomer as they are no particles, then participate in the discussion. You Google and copy paste links without knowing about the contents is getting funnier day by day.

Are you telling Daecon that they absorb the energy of pulsars ?

I'm giving Daecon a couple of reputable links as opposed to your general nonsense and trolling, as those that don't have you on ignore can see.

 

[The God]

I'm giving Daecon a couple of reputable links as opposed to your general nonsense and trolling, as those that don't have you on ignore can see.

Did your post answer Daecon question ?

Poor fellow is attempting to sound grown up by giving weird arguments. He follows you, you have confused him with what is real, what is model, what is unreal etc.

 

[paddoboy]

Did your post answer Daecon question ?

Poor fellow is attempting to sound grown up by giving weird arguments. He follows you, you have confused him with what is real, what is model, what is unreal etc.

And yet still, its your threads and your unsupported claims that finish in the deep fringes.

 

[The God]

And yet still, its your threads and your unsupported claims that finish in the deep fringes.

Eight times in two days you have written this !! Find a new catchy line.

 

[Daecon]

How about "stop parrotizing"? Is that catchy enough?

 

[paddoboy]

Eight times in two days you have written this !! Find a new catchy line.

And eight times true and factual!

 

[Daecon]

Did your post answer Daecon question ?

Poor fellow is attempting to sound grown up by giving weird arguments. He follows you, you have confused him with what is real, what is model, what is unreal etc.

I'm not attempting to sound grown up, I'm attempting to learn by asking questions. You know, that thing you say I should do, but then you act like a condescending ass when I do exactly that.

Maybe YOU should do more of the former and less of the latter, perhaps then you wouldn't deserve so much contempt.

 

[The God]

I'm not attempting to sound grown up, I'm attempting to learn by asking questions. You know, that thing you say I should do, but then you act like a condescending ass when I do exactly that.

Maybe YOU should do more of the former and less of the latter, perhaps then you wouldn't deserve so much contempt.

Then be a student....forget about what others do or don't. Just be a student, don't claim that you post your science on reputable forums not here.

 

[exchemist]

Would that mean the virtual particles are absorbing the kinetic energy of the pulsars? Where would that energy go when the virtual particles are annihilated?

I agree, this seems very odd.

It bears emphasising, I think, that virtual particles are NOT particles, contrary to the way the quoted article is written. That is why they are called "virtual". They are merely disturbances in the EM field that can be modelled more or less as if they are particles, that's all.

Like you, I do not understand how energy can be dissipated this way. The most I would have expected to happen would be that the virtual particles temporarily "borrow" some k.e. from the object but then return it. However, not myself being a physicist, I'd welcome some informed comment from someone who is.

 

[Daecon]

Like you, I do not understand how energy can be dissipated this way. The most I would have expected to happen would be that the virtual particles temporarily "borrow" some k.e. from the object but then return it. However, not myself being a physicist, I'd welcome some informed comment from someone who is.

Reading that made me think of Hawking radiation.

Could something similar be at work, whereas instead of the radiation is converted from the mass of a black hole, the radiation is converted from the kinetic energy of the pulsar?

Of course, even if that were the case it'd probably be virtually (no pun intended) impossible to distinguish from everything else...

 

[paddoboy]

That is why they are called "virtual". They are merely disturbances in the EM field that can be modelled more or less as if they are particles, that's all.

Like you, I do not understand how energy can be dissipated this way. The most I would have expected to happen would be that the virtual particles temporarily "borrow" some k.e. from the object but then return it. However, not myself being a physicist, I'd welcome some informed comment from someone who is.

As in the Q and A Quora link, a difficult scenario to comprehend I suggest but not a bad answer........
"Yes(in small picture) and No(in big picture) let me explain:

1.Quantum mechanically the elementary particles tend to interact with each other in all the possible ways. One particle at an instance would transform into combination of two different elementary particles for a very short interval of time. It returns back to the original configuration. Two ‘up’ quarks could be combined to make proton and neutron. Thus numerous states are existing in vacuum. Now considering two electrons interacting with each other, there would be a repulsive force between them. The interaction is best understood by Feynman diagram.

more at the link, but the equations did not transpose as well as I would have liked.