Nonperturbative Casimir effects: Vacuum structure, Confinement, and Chiral Symmetry Breaking

The review of vacuum and matter restructuring in space-time with boundaries is presented. We consider phase properties of confining gauge theories and strongly interacting fermion systems. In particular, the chiral and deconfinement phase transitions properties in the presence of Casimir plates. We also discuss mass scale shifts in such systems and their possible dynamical and geometrical nature.