Exchange of momentum between moving matter induced by the zero-point fluctuations of the electromagnetic field

We propose a quantum theory for the characterization of the momentum of moving media at zero temperature. It is demonstrated that the zero-point quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field may cause a net transfer of momentum between polarizable bodies moving at different velocities in Casimir-type geometries. However, the total net momentum induced by the quantum fluctuations, i.e., the total additional momentum imparted to all the matter in the system, vanishes. It is proven that the exchanged momentum can be calculated from the zero-point interaction energy of the system.