The quantum radiation of scalar particles by a moving mirror is discussed. A perturbation method is developed which allows one to calculate the radiation produced by a boundary of arbitrary shape in the nonrelativistic limit. It is applied to the case of a mirror in two-dimensional space-time and reproduces the results of Fulling and Davies. It is also applied to the case of a plane mirror in four-dimensional space-time, and a formula is obtained for the total energy radiated by an arbitrary nonrelativistic motion.

• Received 28 December 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.25.2569