Effects of quantum stress tensor fluctuations with compact extra dimensions

Abstract

The effects of compact extra dimensions upon quantum stress tensor fluctuations are discussed. It is argued that as the compactification volume decreases, these fluctuations increase in magnitude. In principle, this would have the potential to create observable effects, such as luminosity fluctuations or angular blurring of distant sources, and lead to constraints upon Kaluza-Klein theories. However, the dependence of the four-dimensional Newton's constant upon the compactification volume causes the gravitational effects of the stress tensor fluctuations to be finite in the limit of small volume. Consequently, no observational constraints upon Kaluza-Klein theories are obtained.