Related papers: Critical Acceleration and Quantum Vacuum
Effective equations are often useful to extract physical information from quantum theories without having to face all technical and conceptual difficulties. One can then describe aspects of the quantum system by equations of classical type,…
We study quantum particles in interaction with a force-carrying field, in the quasi-classical limit. This limit is characterized by the field having a very large number of excitations (it is therefore macroscopic), while the particles…
These notes provide a pedagogical introduction to the theoretical study of vacuum polarization effects in strong electromagnetic fields as provided by state-of-the-art high-intensity lasers. Quantum vacuum fluctuations give rise to…
We investigate quantum radiation reaction in laser-electron interactions across different energy and intensity regimes. Using a fully quantum approach which also accounts exactly for the effect of the strong laser pulse on the electron…
Heavy quarks have been instrumental for progress in our exploration of strong interactions. Quarkonium in particular, a heavy quark-antiquark nonrelativistic bound state, has been at the root of several revolutions. Quarkonium is endowed…
Experiments using high-power lasers and relativistic electron beams will soon be capable of precision testing of the theory of strong-field quantum electrodynamics. The comparison between experiment and theory always occurs via numerical…
It is conjectured that all perturbative approaches to quantum electrodynamics (QED) break down in the collision of a high-energy electron beam with an intense laser, when the laser fields are boosted to `supercritical' strengths far greater…
A quantum kinetic theory for correlated charged-particle systems in strong time-dependent electromagnetic fields is developed. Our approach is based on a systematic gauge-invariant nonequilibrium Green's functions formulation. Extending our…
One-electron energy levels are studied for a configuration of two positive charges inside an octahedral cage, the vertices of the cage being occupied by atoms with a partially filled shell. Although ground states correspond to large…
We use a perturbative approach to evaluate transition amplitudes corresponding to quantum friction, for a scalar model describing an atom which moves at a constant velocity, close to a material plane. In particular, we present results on…
We attempt to find new symmetries in the space-time structure, leading to a modified gravitation at large length scales, which provides the foundations of a quantum gravity at very low energies. This search begins by considering a unified…
Whenever an experiment can be described classically, quantum physics must predict the same outcome. Intuitively, there is nothing quantum about an accelerating observer travelling through a vacuum. It is therefore not surprising that many…
Open questions on the fundamental nature of the strong force endure and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a once-in-a-generation laboratory elucidating its quantum origins. This document summarizes the plenary overview talk titled "QCD…
We recall how nearly half a century ago the proposal was made to explore the structure of the quantum vacuum using slow heavy-ion collisions. Pursuing this topic we review the foundational concept of spontaneous vacuum decay accompanied by…
We study the generation and space-time evolution of fluid acceleration in heavy-ion collisions using AMPT and UrQMD transport models combined with a Gaussian smearing method. The peak proper acceleration reaches several hundred MeV, with…
The accelerating expansion of the universe presents an exciting, fundamental challenge to the standard models of particle physics and cosmology. I highlight some of the outstanding challenges in both developing theoretical models and…
We subject a falling cloud of cold cesium atoms to periodic kicks from a sinusoidal potential created by a vertical standing wave of off-resonant laser light. By controllably accelerating the potential, we show quantum accelerator mode…
We discuss some common misconceptions in Unruh effect and Unruh radiation for the cases of linear and circular uniform acceleration of a charged particle or detector moving in a quantum field. We point to the need to go beyond Unruh effect…
The electromagnetic vacuum is known to have energy. It has been recently argued that the quantum vacuum can possess momentum, that adds up to the momentum of matter. This ``Casimir momentum'' is closely related to the Casimir effect, in…
The evolution of an electron beam colliding head-on with a strong plane-wave field is investigated in the framework of strong-field QED including radiation-reaction effects due to photon emission. Employing a kinetic approach to describe…