We review the history of analytical approaches to particle production from external strong fields in QED and QCD, and numerical studies of the back reaction problem for the electric field in QED. We discuss the formulation of the backreaction problem for the chromoelectric field in QCD both in leading and next to leading order in flavor large-N QCD.
As a toy model for QED in strong background fields, we consider the impact of back-reaction and loop effects on scattering processes in quantum optics. We show that neglecting back-reaction misses qualitative and quantitative features of strong-field physics. We are able to study an analogue of the Narozhny-Ritus conjecture on the scaling of higher loop diagrams with intensity: we prove that there is no corresponding behaviour in our model. Implications for QED are identified and discussed.
We study in the quasiclassical approximation the radiation reaction and its influence on the space-time evolution for the small relativistic dipole moving in a constant external electromagnetic field in QED.
The measurements of the QED reaction $ \EEGG $ performed with the L3 detector are used to search for new physics phenomena beyond the Standard Model. No evidence for these phenomena is found and new limits on their parameters are set. First the reaction is used to constrain a model of an excited electron and second to study contact interactions. The total and differential cross sections for the process $ \EEGG $, are measured at energies from 91 GeV to 202 GeV using the data collected with the L3 detector from 1991 to 1999. The L3 data set lower limits on the mass of an excited electron $ \MES…
We derive dynamical, real time radiation reaction effects from lightfront QED. Combining the Hamiltonian formalism with a plane wave background field, the calculation is performed in the Furry picture for which the background is treated exactly while interactions between quantum fields are treated in perturbation theory as normal. We work to a fixed order in perturbation theory, but no other approximation is made. The literature contains many proposals for the correct classical equation describing a radiating particle; we take the classical limit of our results and identify which equations are…
We derive radiation reaction from QED in a strong background field. We identify, in general, the diagrams and processes contributing to recoil effects in the average momentum of a scattered electron, using perturbation theory in the Furry picture: we work to lowest nontrivial order in the electromagnetic coupling alpha. For the explicit example of scattering in a plane wave background, we compare QED with classical electrodynamics in the limit h-bar goes to zero, finding agreement with the Lorentz-Abraham-Dirac and Landau-Lifshitz equations, and with Larmor's formula. The first quantum correct…
We compute radiative corrections to nuclear reaction rates that determine the outcome of the Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN). Any nuclear reaction producing a photon with an energy above $2m_e$ must be supplemented by the corresponding reaction where the final state photon is replaced by an electron-positron pair. We find that pair production brings a typical $0.2 \%$ enhancement to photon emission rates, resulting in a similar size corrections to elemental abundances. The exception is $^4{\rm He}$ abundance, which is insensitive to the small changes in the nuclear reaction rates. We also inves…
The general features of renormalization and the renormalization group in QED and in general quantum field theories in curved spacetime with additional Lorentz- and CPT-violating background fields are reviewed.
Using a real-time formalism of equilibrium and nonequilibrium quantum-field theory, we derive the reaction-rate formula for neutrino-conversion ($ν\to ν'$) process and $ν\barν'$ annihilation process, which take place in a hot and dense QED plasma with background (anti)neutrinos out of equilibrium. Also derived is the formula for the inverse processes to the above ones. Using the hard-thermal-loop resummation scheme, we include the contribution from the coherent processes. The decay/production of a neutrino causes an evolution of its spatial distribution. A scheme for dealing with this evolutio…
Narrow muon bundles in underground detectors permit to study muoproduction reactions that take place in the surrounding rock. We analyze the relevance of a QED+QCD reaction, muoproduction of "open charm". The contribution to double muon events is estimated to be 4-8 % of the one due to QED "trident" process, for an ideal detector located under a rock depth of 3 km water equivalent, and an observation threshold of 1 GeV.
We consider the back-reaction of quantum electrodynamics upon an electric field E(x_+) = - A'_-(x_+) which is parallel to x^3 and depends only on the lightcone coordinate x_+ = (x^0 + x^3)/\sqrt{2}. Novel features are that the mode functions have simple expressions for arbitrary A_-(x_+), and that one cannot ignore the usual lightcone ambiguity at zero + momentum. Each mode of definite canonical momenta k_+ experiences pair creation at the instant when its kinetic momentum p_+=k_+ - e A_-(x_+) vanishes, at which point operators from the surface at x_- =-\infty play a crucial role. Our formalis…
Scattering processes in laser backgrounds are degenerate to the emission of unobservable photons collinear with the laser. We identify processes and observables for which such degeneracies factorise and exponentiate, obtaining the leading-order intensity dependence of these inclusive observables at high laser intensity, correct to all orders in the fine-structure constant (all loops, all emissions). The results show an exponential intensity dependence distinct from that predicted by the Narozhny-Ritus conjecture on the high-intensity behaviour of quantum electrodynamics in strong fields.
In strong uniform magnetic field, the vacuum Non-Commutative Plane (NCP) caused by the lowest Landau level(LLL) effect and the QED with NCP (QED-NCP) are studied. Being similar to the theory of Quantum Hall effect, an effective filling factor $f(B)$ is introduced to character the possibility that the electrons stays on LLL. The backward Compton scattering amplitudes of QED-NCP are derived, and the differential cross sections for the process with polarized initial electrons and photons are calculated. The existing Spring-8's data has been analyzed primitively and some hints for QED-NCP effects …
A possibility of a verification of CPT-invariance of QED for bound states by example of muonium or antimuonium produced in reactions of scattering of electrons or positrons by nuclei is considered. The number of events of the muonium production is estimated for contemporary accelerators. The method of the detection of muonium by measuring of oscillations of the decay curve caused by the interference between the ground and excited state of muonium is suggested. The admixture of the excited muonium to the final state is calculated.
We propose a simple and systematic way of accounting for the back reaction on the background field due to the pair creation in the four--dimensional scalar QED. This method is straightforwardly generalizable to the gravity backgrounds. In the case of QED with the instantly switched on constant electric field background we obtain a remarkably simple formula for its decay rate.
We consider -- within QED(2) -- the backreaction to the Schwinger pair creation in a time dependent, spatially homogeneous electric field. Our focus is the depletion of the external field as a quench and the subsequent long-term evolution of the resulting electric field. Our numerical solutions of the self consistent, fully backreacted dynamical equations exhibit a self-sustaining oscillation of both the electric field and the pair number depending on the coupling strength.
It is well known that there is a total cancellation of the \emph{factorizable} IR divergences in unitary interacting field theories, such as QED and quantum gravity. In this note we show that such a cancellation does not happen in QED with background electric fields which can produce pairs. There is no factorization of the IR divergences.
An extension of the QED 'return to resonance' mechanism to light meson emission ($π$, $ρ$) in (anti)proton collisions with a hadronic target (nucleon or nucleus) is proposed. The cross section and the multiplicity distributions are calculated. The collinear emission (along the beam direction) of a charged meson may be used to produce high energy (anti)neutron beams. Possible applications at existing and planned facilities are considered.
KLOE and Babar have an observed discrepancy of 2% to 5% in the invariant pion pair production cross section. These measurements are based on approximate NLO $ μ^+ μ^- γ$ cross section predictions of the Monte Carlo event generator PHOKHARA7.0. In this article, the complete NLO radiative corrections to $ μ^+ μ^- γ$ production are calculated and implemented in the Monte Carlo event generator PHOKHARA9.0. Numerical reliability is guaranteed by two independent approaches to the real and the virtual corrections. The novel features include the contribution of pentagon diagrams in the virtual correct…
Peripheral collisions of relativistic heavy ions uniquely probe many aspects of QED. Examples include $e^+e^-$ pair production and nuclear excitation in strong fields. After discussing these reactions, I will draw parallels between $γ\to e^+e^-$ and $γ\to q\bar q$ and consider partly hadronic reactions. The scattered $q\bar q$ pairs are a prolific source of vector mesons, which demonstrate many quantum effects. The two ions are a two-source interferometer, demonstrating interference between meson waves. Multiple vector meson production will demonstrate superradiance, a first step toward a vect…
We study two different initial conditions for fermions for the problem of pair production of fermions coupled to a classical electromagnetic field with backreaction in \oneplusone boost-invariant coordinates. Both of these conditions are consistent with fermions initially in a vacuum state. We present results for the proper time evolution of the electric field $E$, the current, the matter energy density, and the pressure as a function of the proper time for these two cases. We also determine the interpolating number density as a function of the proper time. We find that when we use a "first or…
Ultrarelativistic electron beam-laser pulse scattering experiments are the workhorse for the investigation of QED and of possible signatures of new physics in the still largely unexplored strong-field regime. However, shot-to-shot fluctuations both of the electron beam and of the laser pulse parameters render it difficult to discern the dynamics of the interaction. Consequently, the possibility of benchmarking theoretical predictions against experimental results, which is essential for validating theoretical models, is severely limited. Here we show that the stochastic nature of quantum emissi…
We study Standard Model four-fermion production in e+ e- annihilation at LEP2 energies and above using a semi-analytical approach. We derive the complete QED initial state corrections (ISR) to the reactions e+e- -> ZZ -> $f_1\bar{f_1}f_2\bar{f_2}$ and e+e- -> W+W- -> ${\bar f}_1^u f_1^d f_2^u {\bar f}_2^d$ with $f_1\neq f_2$~and $f_i \neq e^\pm, ν_e$. As compared to the well-known universal s-channel ISR, additional complexity arises due to non-universal, process-dependent ISR contributions from t- and u-channel fermion exchanges. The full set of formulae needed to perform numerical calculatio…
In the strong uniform magnetic field, the noncommutative plane (NCP) caused by the lowest Landau level (LLL) effect, and QED with NCP (QED-NCP) are studied. Being similar to the condensed matter theory of quantum Hall effect, an effective filling factor $f(B)$ is introduced to character the possibility that the electrons stay on the LLL. The analytic and numerical results of the differential cross section for the process of backward Compton scattering in the accelerator with unpolarized or polarized initial photons are calculated. The existing data of BL38B2 in Spring-8 have been analyzed roug…
QED perturbation theory in a background field has been conjectured to break down for sufficiently high field intensity. The high-intensity behavior of a field theory is however intertwined with its high-energy (UV) behavior. Here we show that a UV modification of QED changes the high-intensity behaviour of observables. Specifically we study non-linear Compton scattering in a constant crossed field in QED with an additional Pauli term. In the UV modified theory the cross section exhibits a faster power-law scaling with intensity than in ordinary QED.
QED perturbation theory has been conjectured to break down in sufficiently strong backgrounds, obstructing the analysis of strong-field physics. We show that the breakdown occurs even in classical electrodynamics, at lower field strengths than previously considered, and that it may be cured by resummation. As a consequence, an analogous resummation is required in QED. A detailed investigation shows, for a range of observables, that unitarity removes diagrams previously believed to be responsible for the breakdown of QED perturbation theory.
We use effective field theory to study the $\mathrmα$-$\mathrmα$ resonant scattering in a finite-temperature QED plasma. The static plasma screening effect causes the resonance state $^8$Be to live longer and eventually leads to the formation of a bound state when $m_D\gtrsim 0.3$ MeV. We speculate that this effect may have implications on the rates of cosmologically and astrophysically relevant nuclear reactions involving $\mathrmα$ particles.
The QED effective action encodes nonlinear interactions due to quantum vacuum polarization effects. While much is known for the special case of electrons in a constant electromagnetic field (the Euler-Heisenberg case), much less is known for inhomogeneous backgrounds. Such backgrounds are more relevant to experimental situations. One way to treat inhomogeneous backgrounds is the "derivative expansion", in which one formally expands around the soluble constant-field case. In this talk I use some recent exactly soluble inhomogeneous backgrounds to perform precision tests on the derivative expans…
The QED effective Lagrangian in the presence of an arbitrary constant electromagnetic background field at finite temperature is derived in the imaginary-time formalism to one-loop order. The boundary conditions in imaginary time reduce the set of gauge transformations of the background field, which allows for a further gauge invariant and puts restrictions on the choice of gauge. The additional invariant enters the effective action by a topological mechanism and can be identified with a chemical potential; it is furthermore related to Debye screening. In concordance with the real-time formalis…
The Breit-Wheeler pair production process in $2+1$ dimensional spacetime is investigated. In the perturbative regime, non-vanishing rates at the energy threshold are found when odd numbers of photons take part on the reaction. This behaviour is understood as a direct consequence of the reduced dimensionality and resembles a corresponding prediction made in gapped graphene monolayers. In the non-perturbative strong field regime the effect of the dimensionality manifests itself in a different rate dependence on the quantum non-linearity parameter. The consequence of this deviation is discussed b…
We study the fermion pair production from a strong electric field in boost-invariant coordinates in (3+1) dimensions and exploit the cylindrical symmetry of the problem. This problem has been used previously as a toy model for populating the central-rapidity region of a heavy-ion collision (when we can replace the electric by a chromoelectric field). We derive and solve the renormalized equations for the dynamics of the mean electric field and current of the produced particles, when the field is taken to be a function only of the fluid proper time $τ= \sqrt{t^2-z^2}$. We determine the proper-t…
The overcritical regime of axion-electrodynamics (AED) is investigated. For magnetic fields larger than the characteristic scale linked to AED, quantum vacuum fluctuations due to axion-like fields can dominate over those associated with the electron-positron fields. This hypothetical regime of the dominance of AED over QED is predicted to induce strong birefringence and screening effects. We show that, if the magnetic field lines are curved, extraordinary photons could be canalized along the field direction. It is also shown that the running QED coupling depends on the magnetic field strength,…
We report on the calculation of first-order QED corrections for the $γp\rightarrow l^+l^-p^{\prime}$ process. An upcoming experiment at MAMI (Mainz) aims to compare the cross sections of muon- and electron-pair production in this reaction to test lepton universality. Precise knowledge of the electromagnetic radiative corrections is needed for these measurements. As a first step, we present the leading QED radiative corrections in the soft-photon approximation when accounting for the finite lepton mass. For the kinematics at MAMI, we find corrections of the percent level for muons, and of order…
We discuss the resolution of an inconsistency between lattice background field methods and nonrelativistic QED matching conditions. In particular, we show that lack of on-shell conditions in lattice QCD with time-dependent background fields generally requires that certain operators related by equations of motion should be retained in an effective field theory to correctly describe the behavior of Green's functions. The coefficients of such operators in a nonrelativistic hadronic theory are determined by performing a robust nonrelativistic expansion of QED for relativistic scalar and spin-half …
We analyze the relation between the short-distance behavior of quantum field theory and the strong-field limit of the background field formalism, for QED effective Lagrangians in self-dual backgrounds, at both one and two loop. The self-duality of the background leads to zero modes in the case of spinor QED, and these zero modes must be taken into account before comparing the perturbative beta function coefficients and the coefficients of the strong-field limit of the effective Lagrangian. At one-loop this is familiar from instanton physics, but we find that at two-loop the role of the zero mo…
I present a unified formulation of anomalous contributions in quantum field theories by calculating directly the effective action using the background field and covariant-derivative expansion technique. I use this method to determine uniquely the induced Chern-Simons term from the a Lorentz and CPT violating term in fermion QED Lagrangian. The outstanding ambiguity is resolved by properly taken into account the noncommutivity of $A$ and $\partial$. The resulting vacuum polarization tensor acquires a non-Feynman diagram anomalous contribution which accounts for the discrepancy between the prese…
Analytical calculations of radiative corrections in strong-field QED have hinted that in the presence of an intense plane wave the effective coupling of the theory in the high-energy sector may increase as the $(2/3)$-power of the energy scale. These findings have raised the question of their compatibility with the corresponding logarithmic increase of radiative corrections in QED in vacuum. However, all these analytical results in strong-field QED have been obtained within the limiting case of a background constant crossed field. Starting from the polarization operator and the mass operator i…
We show that inconsistency between background field methods, which are relevant for lattice QCD spectroscopy, and effective field theory matching conditions, which are obtained from scattering amplitudes, can be resolved by augmenting nonrelativistic QED with operators related by the equations of motion. To determine the coefficients of such operators, we perform the nonrelativistic expansion of QED for a spin-half hadron including non-minimal electromagnetic couplings. As an effective field theory framework could provide a valuable tool to analyze lattice QCD correlation functions in external…
We study the low-energy effects of space-time non-commutativity on light propagation in a background electromagnetic field. Contrary to some of the previous claims, we find no polarization rotation for vanishing time-space commutator $[\hat{x}^i,\hat{x}^0]= 0$, although dispersion relation is modified, allowing for propagation faster than the vacuum speed of light. For non-zero $[\hat{x}^i,\hat{x}^0]$, as allowed with a proper quantization, a naive rotation effect is found to be actually absent when physical fields are defined through Seiberg-Witten map. We also consider non-commutative QED we…
The ${\cal O}(α)$ radiative corrections to the process $p\,p\hskip-7pt\hbox{$^{^{(\!-\!)}}$} \rightarrow γ^*, \, Z \rightarrow \ell^+ \ell^-$ ($\ell=e,\,μ$) are calculated. Factorizing the collinear singularity associated with initial state photon bremsstrahlung into the parton distribution functions, we find that initial state corrections have a much smaller effect than final state radiative corrections. Due to mass singular logarithmic terms associated with photons emitted collinear with one of the final state leptons, QED radiative corrections strongly affect the shape of the di-lepton inva…
We review the effects of strong background fields in noncommutative QED. Beginning with the noncommutative Maxwell and Dirac equations, we describe how combined noncommutative and strong field effects modify the propagation of fermions and photons. We extend these studies beyond the case of constant backgrounds by giving a new and revealing interpretation of the photon dispersion relation. Considering scattering in background fields, we then show that the noncommutative photon is primarily responsible for generating deviations from strong field QED results. Finally, we propose a new method for…
I present an exact solution for the Heisenberg picture, Dirac electron in the presence of an electric field which depends arbitrarily upon the light cone time parameter $x^+ = (t+x)/\sqrt{2}$. This is the largest class of background fields for which the mode functions have ever been obtained. The solution applies to electrons of any mass and in any spacetime dimension. The traditional ampiguity at $p^+ = 0$ is explicitly resolved. It turns out that the initial value operators include not only $(I + γ^0 γ^1) ψ$ at $x^+ = 0$ but also $(I - γ^0 γ^1) ψ$ at $x^- = -L$. Pair creation is a discrete a…
We consider violation of Lorentz invariance in QED induced by a very high frequency background wave. An effective theory is obtained by averaging observables over the rapid field oscillations. This preserves Ward identities and restores translation invariance below the high frequency scale, but only partial Lorentz invariance: we show that the effective theory is C-invariant SIM(2)-QED in Very Special Relativity. Averaging generates the nonlocal terms familiar from SIM(2) theories, while the short-distance behaviour of the background field fermion propagator generates the infinite number of hi…
We entertain the idea that a suitable background of cold (very low momentum) pseudoscalar particles or condensate, may trigger a background that effectively generates Lorentz-invariance violation. This aether-like background induces a Chern-Simons modification of QED. Physics is different in different frames and, in the rest frame of the pseudoscalar background, high momentum photons can decay into pairs. The threshold for such decay depends quadratically on the rest mass of the particles. This mechanism could explain in a natural way why antiprotons are absent in recent cosmic ray measurement…
Particle-antiparticle pairs can be produced by background electric fields via the Schwinger mechanism provided they are unconfined. If, as in QED in (3+1)-$d$ these particles are massive, the particle production rate is exponentially suppressed below a threshold field strength. Above this threshold, the energy for pair creation must come from the electric field itself which ought to eventually relax to the threshold strength. Calculating this relaxation in a self-consistent manner, however, is difficult. Chu and Vachaspati addressed this problem in the context of capacitor discharge in massles…
The local-constant-field approximation (LCFA) is an essential theoretical tool for investigating strong-field QED phenomena in background electromagnetic fields with complex spacetime structure. In our previous work [Phys.~Rev.~A~\textbf{98}, 012134 (2018)] we have analyzed the shortcomings of the LCFA in nonlinear Compton scattering at low emitted photon energies for the case of a background plane-wave field. Here, we generalize that analysis to background fields, which can feature a virtually arbitrary spacetime structure. In addition, we provide an explicit and simple implementation of an i…
In the in-out formalism we advance a method of the inverse scattering matrix for calculating effective actions in pure magnetic field backgrounds. The one-loop effective actions are found in a localized magnetic field of Sauter type and approximately in a general magnetic field by applying the uniform semiclassical approximation. The effective actions exhibit the electromagnetic duality between a constant electric field and a constant magnetic field and between $E(x) = E sech^2 (x/L)$ and $B(x) = B sech^2 (x/L)$.
We consider QED in five dimensions in a configuration where matter is localized on a 3-brane while foton propagates in the bulk. The idea is to investigate the effects of the Kaluza-Klein modes of the photon in the relativistic regime, but in low energy, and in the nonrelativistic regime. In the relativistic regime, we calculate the cross section for the reaction $e^+ + e^- \to μ^+ + μ^-$. We compare our theoretical result with a precise measurement of this cross section at $\sqrt{s}=57.77$ GeV. As result, we extract a lower bound on the size of the extra dimension. In the nonrelativistic regi…
Strong background fields require a non-perturbative treatment, which is afforded in QED by the Furry expansion of scattering amplitudes. It has been conjectured that this expansion breaks down for sufficiently strong fields, based on the asymptotic growth of loop corrections with increasing "quantum nonlinearity", essentially the product of field strength and particle energy. However, calculations to date have assumed that the background is constant. We show here, using general plane waves of finite duration, that observables at high quantum nonlinearity scale differently depending on whether …
In this paper we study QED on the noncommutative space in the constant electro-magnetic field background. Using the explicit solutions of the noncommutative version of Dirac equation in such background, we show that there are well-defined in and out -going asymptotic states and also there is a causal Green's function. We calculate the pair production rate in this case. We show that at tree level noncommutativity will not change the pair production and the threshold electric field. We also calculate the pair production rate considering the first loop corrections. In this case we show that the t…
We show for the first time that the induced parity--even Lorentz invariance violation can be unambiguously calculated in the physically justified and minimally broken dimensional regularization scheme, suitably tailored for a spontaneous Lorentz symmetry breaking in a field theory model. The quantization of the Lorentz invariance violating quantum electrodynamics is critically examined and shown to be consistent either for a light--like cosmic anisotropy axial--vector or for a time--like one, when in the presence of a bare photon mass.
If an electric charge is accelerated by a sufficiently intense electromagnetic field, the effects of the radiation emitted by the charge on the charge dynamics (radiation reaction) cannot be ignored. Here we show that classical radiation-reaction effects alter qualitatively and quantitatively the infrared behavior of the spectrum of the radiation emitted by an electron in the presence of an intense electromagnetic plane wave (nonlinear Thomson scattering). An analytical expression of the infrared limit of nonlinear Thomson scattering is provided, which includes radiation-reaction effects and i…
We investigate the effects of thermal fluctuations on the spontaneous magnetic condensate in three dimensional QED coupled with P-odd Dirac fermions. Our results show that the phenomenon of the spontaneous generation of the constant background magnetic field survives to the thermal corrections even at infinite temperature. We also study the thermal corrections to the fermionic condensate in presence of the magnetic field.
Upcoming and planned experiments combining increasingly intense lasers and energetic particle beams will access new regimes of nonlinear, relativistic, quantum effects. This improved experimental capability has driven substantial progress in QED in intense background fields. We review here the advances made during the last decade, with a focus on theory and phenomenology. As ever higher intensities are reached, it becomes necessary to consider processes at higher orders in both the number of scattered particles and the number of loops, and to account for non-perturbative physics (e.g. the Schw…
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 the electron and the photon distribution it is shown that at a given total laser fluence the final electron distribution depends on the shape of the laser envelope and on the pulse duration, in contrast to the classical predictions of radiation reaction based on the Landau-Lifshitz equation. Finally, it is investigated how the pair-creation process leads to a …
We find the Bogoliubov coefficient from the tunneling boundary condition on a charged particle coupled to a static electric field $E_0 sech^2 (z/L)$ and, using the regularization scheme in Phys. Rev. D 78, 105013 (2008), obtain the exact one-loop effective action in scalar and spinor QED. It is shown that the effective action satisfies the general relation between the vacuum persistence and the mean number of produced pairs. We advance an approximation method for general electric fields and show the duality between the space-dependent and time-dependent electric fields of the same form at the …
A low-temperature expansion of QED one-loop effective Lagrangian valid for a wide range of parameters is presented in a form of finite sums of elementary functions. Starting from the effective action components of the one-loop polarization operator responsible for Hall conductivity and Debye screening are obtained. It is shown that in a strong background magnetic field the Debye radius depends on spatial direction.