Asymptotic channels and gauge transformations of the time-dependent Dirac equation for extremely relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1999 · Physical Review A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.59.346· OSTI ID:289202

Wells, J C ^[1]; Wells, J C; Segev, B ^[2]; Eichler, J ^[3]

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1. Center for Computational Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenneessee 37831-6203 (United States)
2. Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)
3. Bereich Theoretische Physik, Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin, 14109 Berlin, Germany and Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin (Germany)

We discuss the two-center, time-dependent Dirac equation describing the dynamics of an electron during a peripheral, relativistic heavy-ion collision at extreme energies. We derive a factored form, which is exact in the high-energy limit, for the asymptotic channel solutions of the Dirac equation, and elucidate their close connection with gauge transformations which transform the dynamics into a representation in which the interaction between the electron and a distant ion is of short range. We describe the implications of this relationship for solving the time-dependent Dirac equation for extremely relativistic collisions. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 289202
• Journal Information: Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 59; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
DIRAC EQUATION
DYNAMICS
HEAVY IONS
ION-ATOM COLLISIONS
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE