Electron-positron pair production in space- or time-dependent electric fields
- Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin (Germany)
- ICRANeT Piazzale della Repubblica, 10 -65122, Pescara, and Dipartimento di Fisica, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome (Italy)
Treating the production of electron and positron pairs by a strong electric field from the vacuum as a quantum tunneling process we derive, in semiclassical approximation, a general expression for the pair-production rate in a z-dependent electric field E(z) pointing in the z direction. We also allow for a smoothly varying magnetic field parallel to E(z). The result is applied to a confined field E(z){ne}0 for |z| < or approx. l, a semiconfined field E(z){ne}0 for z > or approx. 0, and a linearly increasing field E(z){approx}z. The boundary effects of the confined fields on pair-production rates are exhibited. A simple variable change in all formulas leads to results for electric fields depending on time rather than space. In addition, we discuss tunneling processes in which empty atomic bound states are spontaneously filled by negative-energy electrons from the vacuum under positron emission. In particular, we calculate the rate at which the atomic levels of a bare nucleus of finite-size r{sub n} and large Z>>1 are filled by spontaneous pair creation.
- OSTI ID:
- 21250406
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 78, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.78.025011; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0556-2821
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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