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This is a review of recent work on quantum fluctuations of the electric field and of stress tensor operators and their physical effects. The probability distribution for vacuum fluctuations of the electric field is Gaussian, but that for quadratic operators, such as the energy density, can have a more slowly decreasing tail, leading to an enhanced probability of large fluctuations. This effect is very sensitive to the details of how the measurement is performed. Some possible physical effects of these large fluctuations will be discussed.
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Abstract This article will review quantum particle creation in expanding universes. The emphasis will be on the basic physical principles and on selected applications to cosmological models. The needed formalism of quantum field theory in curved spacetime will be summarized, and applied to the example of scalar particle creation in a spatially flat Universe. Estimates for the creation rate will be given and applied to inflationary cosmology models. Analog models which illustrate the same physical principles and may be experimentally realizable are also discussed.more » « less
