Photon decay into neutrinos in a strong magnetic field. [Schwinger mass operator technique]

Journal Article · Wed Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 1976 · Phys. Rev., D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.14.3326· OSTI ID:7327815

DeRaad, Jr, L L; Milton, K A; Dass, N D.H.

The real photon decay, ..gamma.. ..-->.. ..nu mu..-bar, is calculated in strong magnetic fields (H approx. 10/sup 13/ G) using a version of Schwinger's mass operator technique, which makes use of the explicit form of the electron Green's function. The reaction is kinematically allowed by an index of refraction less than one. This latter condition may arise either from quantum electrodynamics (high frequencies) or from the effects of a material medium or plasma (low frequencies). The calculation is based on point-charged and neutral-current interactions for the leptons, which should agree with an SU/sub 2/ x U/sub 1/ gauge-theory calculation as long as ..omega../m/sub W/ and eH/m/sub W/ /sup 2/ are both small compared to unity (where ..omega.. is the photon frequency and m/sub W/ is the mass of the W boson). Numerical results for the absorption coefficient and energy loss rate are given, since the mechanism may be important in the astrophysics of neutron stars. (AIP)

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024
• OSTI ID: 7327815
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev., D; (United States), Vol. 14:12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
NEUTRON STARS
PHOTONS
LEPTONIC DECAY
PULSARS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
GREEN FUNCTION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NEUTRAL-CURRENT INTERACTIONS
NEUTRINOS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
SCHWINGER SOURCE THEORY
SU-2 GROUPS
U-1 GROUPS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DECAY
ELECTRODYNAMICS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FIELD THEORIES
FUNCTIONS
INTERACTIONS
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
LEPTONS
LIE GROUPS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
PARTICLE DECAY
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
STARS
SU GROUPS
SYMMETRY GROUPS
U GROUPS
WEAK INTERACTIONS
WEAK PARTICLE DECAY
645202* - High Energy Physics- Particle Interactions & Properties-Theoretical- Electromagnetic Interactions & Properties
645203 - High Energy Physics- Particle Interactions & Properties-Theoretical- Weak Interactions & Properties
640102 - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources