Strong Scalar QED in Inhomogeneous Electromagnetic Fields
Abstract
Strong QED has attracted attention recently partly because many astrophysical phenomena have been observed to involve electromagnetic fields beyond the critical strength for electron-positron pair production and partly because terrestrial experiments will generate electromagnetic fields above or near the critical strength in the near future. In this talk we critically review QED phenomena involving strong external electromagnetic fields. Strong QED is characterized by vacuum polarization due to quantum fluctuations and pair production due to the vacuum instability. A canonical method is elaborated for pair production at zero or finite temperature by inhomogeneous electric fields. An algorithm is advanced to calculate pair production rate for electric fields acting for finite periods of time or localized in space or oscillating electric fields. Finally, strong QED is discussed in astrophysics, in particular, strange stars.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0801.3300,
title = {Strong Scalar QED in Inhomogeneous Electromagnetic Fields},
author = {Sang Pyo Kim},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0801.3300},
year = {2008}
}
Comments
RevTex 8 pages, no figure; to appear in the Proceedings of the 10th Italian-Korean Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics, Pescara, Italy, June 25-30, 2007; pair production rate and mean number of pairs clarified in the strong electric field limit and references added