Casimir effect for a perfectly conducting wedge

The Casimir surface force on a perfectly conducting wedge with opening angle alpha is calculated by means of Schwinger's source theory. The wedge geometry is an attractive system to study, since it is nontrivial enough to demonstrate the main features of quantum field theory applied to media, and yet simple since it avoids the divergences associated with curved boundaries. We regularize the energy-momentum tensor by subtracting its value in free space. The surface pressure diverges as r(-4) near to the vertex; the physical reason for this is the idealized boundary conditions implying the neglect of a finite skin depth. Our final results agree with those oi. Deutsch and Candelas (1979) and others, developed along different lines. An inconsistency in earlier calculations is pointed out and corrected. Possible experimental consequences are discussed. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.