  We wish to draw attention to a novel view of the effect of the quantum
fluctuations during the radiation of accelerated particles, particularly those
in storage rings. This view is inspired by the remarkable insight of Hawking
that the effect of the strong gravitational field of a black hole on the
quantum fluctuations of the surrounding space is to cause the black hole to
radiate with a temperature T = hbar g / 2 pi c k, where g is the acceleration
due to gravity at the surface of the black hole, c is the speed of light, and k
is Boltzmann's constant. Shortly thereafter Unruh argued that an accelerated
observer should become excited by quantum fluctuations to a temperature T =
hbar a* / 2 pi c k, where a* is the acceleration of the observer in its
instantaneous rest frame. In a series of papers Bell and co-workers have noted
that electron storage rings provide a demonstration of the utility of the
Hawking-Unruh temperature, with emphasis on the question of the incomplete
polarization of the electrons due to quantum fluctuations of synchrotron
radiation. Here we expand slightly on the results of Bell et al., and encourage
the reader to consult the literature for more detailed understanding.
