Radiative processes of a static atom interacting with a quantum scalar field in global monopole spacetime

Abstract

We investigate the rate of change of energy for a static two-level atom interacting with a massless quantum scalar field in global monopole spacetime and separately calculate the contributions of thermal fluctuations and radiation reaction. We discuss two different kinds of atom-field interactions separately. The behaviors of the atomic transition rates are analyzed in different circumstances such as near distance and big solid angle deficit. Moreover, we compare the results with those in Minkowski spacetime so as to reveal the effects of the global monopole. In general, as the atom-monopole distance increases, the transition rates oscillate around the results in Minkowski spacetime and the amplitude of oscillation gradually decreases. The oscillation is more severe for larger solid angle deficit. Our works suggest that the transition rates can profoundly change with different atom-field interactions and different types of scalar field.