Electromagnetic electron-positron pair production in heavy-ion collisions with impact parameter zero

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Physical Review A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.49.1584· OSTI ID:142624

Hencken, K; Trautmann, D ^[1]; Baur, G ^[2]

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1. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik der Universitaet Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, 4056 Basel (Switzerland)
2. Institut fuer Kernphysik (Theorie), Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany)

We present a calculation of the second-order process of electron-positron pair creation by the electromagnetic fields of two relativistic heavy ions for impact parameter {ital b} zero. Total probabilities as well as differential ones are presented. A comparison with the results of the double equivalent-photon approximation (DEPA) shows explicitly the inapplicability of this approximation in the case of total probabilities. We discuss the creation of pairs with large invariant mass. The DEPA results are too high, which can be traced back to the mass singularity of the photon cross section at very small angles, giving a discrepancy, whereas the agreement between our result and DEPA is good for larger angles.

• OSTI ID: 142624
• Journal Information: Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 49; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTRON PAIRS
EQUIVALENT-PHOTON APPROXIMATION
HEAVY IONS
IMPACT PARAMETER
ION-ION COLLISIONS
MATRIX ELEMENTS
PAIR PRODUCTION
RELATIVISTIC RANGE