Nuclear beta decay induced by intense electromagnetic fields: Basic theory

Abstract

A basic formalism is developed for the theory of the effect on nuclear beta decay of an intense, plane-wave electromagnetic field. Interactions of the field with both the nuclear particles and the decay electron are included. The formalism is developed from first principles, including a derivation of transition probabilities between explicitly time-dependent asymptotic states. Interaction of the field with the nucleus is analyzed in terms of separation of the nucleus into an inert core and a fragment. The field interacts with the fragment, consisting of the nucleons which are candidates for beta decay, plus any other nucleons angular-momentum coupled to them in initial or final states. A separation of variables in the dynamical equations for the nucleus into center-of-mass and relative coordinates for the core and fragment shows direct charge coupling even for a fragment consisting entirely of neutrons. The transition formalism involves specific intense-field wave functions both for the nucleus and for the beta particle. Complete results are presented for total transition probability per unit time for intense-field-coupled nuclear beta decay. A much simplified formalism is given for the special case of very high field intensity at very low frequency. The results then bear a formal resemblance to ordinary beta decay theory, but they contain specific field effects in the beta particle spectral function, and in the nuclear interaction matrix elements. This is the first of a series of papers on this subject.RADIOACTIVITY Intense-field-induced $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay. $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay forbiddenness removal.