Cutoff dependence of the Casimir effect

C. R. Hagen

Published 2000-03-22Version 1

The problem of calculating the Casimir force on two conducting planes by means of the stress tensor is examined. The evaluation of this quantity is carried out using an explicit regularization procedure which has its origin in the underlying (2+1) dimensional Poincar\'{e} invariance of the system. The force between the planes is found to depend on the ratio of two independent cutoff parameters, thereby rendering any prediction for the Casimir effect an explicit function of the particular calculational scheme employed. Similar results are shown to obtain in the case of the conducting sphere.