Trident Production Cross Section and Quantum Electrodynamics at Small Distances

Abstract

The cross section has been calculated for the coincidence experiment of electron-positron pair production from electron-proton collisions as a test of quantum electrodynamics at small distances. The electrons and positrons are considered highly relativistic and the protons are considered as Coulomb field sources; otherwise the calculations are exact to the fourth order of the matrix element. Distances probed are about 0.5 F.