There are two types of fluctuations in the quantum vacuum: type 1 vacuum fluctuations are on shell and can interact with matter in specific, limited ways that have observable consequences; type 2 vacuum fluctuations are off shell and cannot interact with matter. A photon will polarize a type 1, bound, charged lepton–antilepton vacuum fluctuation in much the same manner that it would polarize a dielectric, suggesting the method used here for calculating the permittivity $$\epsilon _{0}$$ ϵ 0 of the vacuum. In a model that retains only leading terms, $$\epsilon _{0} \cong (6\mu _{0}/\pi )(8e^{2}/\hbar )^{2}= 9.10\times 10^{-12}$$ ϵ 0 ≅ ( 6 μ 0 / π ) ( 8 e 2 / ħ ) 2 = 9.10 × 10 - 12 C/(Vm). The calculated value for $$\epsilon _{0}$$ ϵ 0 is 2.7% more than the accepted value. The permittivity of the vacuum, in turn, determines the speed c of light in the vacuum. Since the vacuum is at rest with respect to every inertial frame of reference, c is the same in every inertial reference frame.

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真空波动的极化：真空介电常数和光速的来源

量子真空中有两种类型的涨落：类型 1 真空涨落在壳层上，可以以特定的、有限的方式与物质相互作用，并产生可观察到的后果；2 型真空涨落是壳外的，不能与物质相互作用。光子将以与极化电介质几乎相同的方式极化 1 型束缚带电轻子-反轻子真空波动，这表明此处用于计算介电常数 $$\epsilon _{0}$$ ϵ 0 的方法真空。在只保留前导项的模型中，$$\epsilon _{0} \cong (6\mu _{0}/\pi )(8e^{2}/\hbar )^{2}= 9.10\times 10 ^{-12}$$ ϵ 0 ≅ ( 6 μ 0 / π ) ( 8 e 2 / ħ ) 2 = 9.10 × 10 - 12 C/(Vm)。$$\epsilon _{0}$$ ϵ 0 的计算值比接受值多 2.7%。反过来，真空的介电常数，决定光在真空中的速度c。由于真空相对于每个惯性参考系都是静止的，因此 c 在每个惯性参考系中都是相同的。