强磁场中的光子分裂和对转换
Photon Splitting and Pair Conversion in Strong Magnetic Fields
摘要：
中子星的磁层为强电磁场中量子电动力学（QED）的理论预言提供了一个有价值的试验场。这种紧凑的天体物理环境表现出超过太高斯的磁场强度，允许在无场区域对称性所禁止的奇异机制的作用。这些过程中最重要的是单光子对的产生，其中光子转换为电子-正电子对，以及磁光子分裂，其中单个光子通过耦合到外部场而分成两个能量较小的光子。对转换过程是指数小的弱场，并提供了领先的订单贡献真空极化。与此相反，光子分裂没有能量阈值，可以在运动学制度，其中的低阶对转换是大力禁止。本文概述了这些过程的一些关键物理方面，并强调了它们在中子星磁层中的表现。预期的观测特征包括脉冲星光谱在伽马射线波长处的深刻吸收转换。这些翻转的形状提供了对产生的可能作用和光子发射区域的几何位置的诊断。美国宇航局将于2008年发射新的GLAST任务，首次确认强场QED是有实际潜力的。还讨论了光子分裂对产生的抑制及其对双光子系统的影响。
英文摘要：
The magnetospheres of neutron stars provide a valuable testing ground for as-yet unverified theoretical predictions of quantum electrodynamics (QED) in strong electromagnetic fields. Exhibiting magnetic field strengths well in excess of a TeraGauss, such compact astrophysical environments permit the action of exotic mechanisms that are forbidden by symmetries in field-free regions. Foremost among these processes are single-photon pair creation, where a photon converts to an electron-positron pair, and magnetic photon splitting, where a single photon divides into two of lesser energy via the coupling to the external field. The pair conversion process is exponentially small in weak fields, and provides the leading order contribution to vacuum polarization. In contrast, photon splitting possesses no energy threshold and can operate in kinematic regimes where the lower order pair conversion is energetically forbidden. This paper outlines some of the key physical aspects of these processes, and highlights their manifestation in neutron star magnetospheres. Anticipated observational signatures include profound absorption turnovers in pulsar spectra at gamma-ray wavelengths. The shapes of these turnovers provide diagnostics on the possible action of pair creation and the geometrical locale of the photon emission region. There is real potential for the first confirmation of strong field QED with the new GLAST mission, to be launched by NASA in 2008. Suppression of pair creation by photon splitting and its implications for pulsars is also discussed.
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