Where In Space Is Nature Exhibiting The Use Of Zero Point Energies?

Answer 1

Where in space? At the leading edge of the ever expanding Universe. Zero-Point Energy or "Nullpunktsenergie" as Einstein called it, is the same as "Vacuum Energy." It's the origin of the Cosmological Constant. The concept was first proposed by Albert Einstein and Otto Stern in 1913 in a famous paper they published. Although hard to prove or test on the Macroscopic level, it has been done on the Microscopic level. Experimentally, the zero-point energy of the vacuum leads directly to the Casimir effect, and is directly observable in nanoscale devices. Going back to the Macroscopic, a positive vacuum energy density resulting from a cosmological constant implies a negative pressure, and vice versa. If the energy density is positive, the associated negative pressure will drive an accelerated expansion of empty space. We could of course be talking about Dark Energy theoretically. (Not to be confused with Dark Matter.) Dark Energy is a hypothetical form of energy that permeates all of space and tends to increase the rate of expansion of the Universe. If this IS in fact the case...then the answer to your question is everywhere.


ADDED INFO :

Needless to say...this is an ongoing investigation but here are the estimates as of today. Dark Energy is thought to make up 73% of the universe, with Dark Matter making up 23%. Only 4% is now thought to actually be "Normal Matter" that Humans, Planets and Stars are made out of. Here is a link to a current news story as well as a cool picture taken a year ago. (The first image ever of Dark Matter.) Dark Energy is no doubt more elusive so don't expect a picture any time soon.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070922/lf_afp/scienceastronomyastrophysicsuniverse_070922173024;_ylt=AvKe7njcAMwm6JjTmeFWEKBkM3wV

Answer 2

Dark energy might be zero point energy although there is a very big difference in how much it is and how much we predict the zero point energy to be.

We're not really sure what's going on there although hopefully a quantum gravity theory will tell us.