We extend our previous work on the functional approach to the dynamical Casimir effect, to compute dissipative effects due to the relative motion of two flat, parallel, imperfect mirrors in vacuum. The interaction between the internal degrees of freedom of the mirrors and the vacuum field is modeled with a nonlocal term in the vacuum field action. We consider two different situations: either the motion is “normal,” i.e., the mirrors advance or recede changing the distance $a(t)$ between them; or it is “parallel,” namely, $a$ remains constant, but there is a relative sliding motion of the mirrors’ planes. For the latter, we show explicitly that there is a nonvanishing frictional force, even for a constant shifting speed.

• Received 13 May 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.84.025011