QED Processes Research Articles

Spatiotemporal distributions of pair production and cascade in solid targets irradiated by ultra-relativistic lasers with different polarizations

Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations have been performed to study electron-positron pair production and cascade development in single ultra-relativistic laser interaction with solid targets. The spatiotemporal distributions of particles produced via QED processes are illustrated and their dependence on laser polarizations is investigated. The evolution of particle generation displays clear QED cascade characters. Studies show that although a circularly polarized laser delays the QED process due to the effective ion acceleration, it can reduce the target heating and confine high-energy charged particles, which leads to deeper QED cascade order and denser pair plasma production than linearly polarized lasers. These findings may benefit the understanding of the coming experimental studies of ultra-relativistic laser target interaction in the QED dominated regime.

Completeness and orthonormality of the Volkov states and the Volkov propagator in configuration space

Volkov states and Volkov propagator are the basic analytical tools to investigate QED processes occurring in the presence of an intense plane-wave electromagnetic field. In the present paper we provide alternative and relatively simple proofs of the completeness and of the orthonormality at a fixed time of the Volkov states. Concerning the completeness, we exploit some known properties of the Green's function of the Dirac operator in a plane wave, whereas the orthonormality of the Volkov states is proved, relying only on a geometric argument based on the Gauss theorem in four dimensions. In relation with the completeness of the Volkov states, we also study some analytical properties of the Green's function of the Dirac operator in a plane wave, which we explicitly prove to coincide with the Volkov propagator in configuration space. In particular, a closed-form expression in terms of modified Bessel functions and Hankel functions is derived by means of the operator technique in a plane wave and different asymptotic forms are determined. Finally, the transformation properties of the Volkov propagator under general gauge transformations and a general gauge-invariant expression of the so-called dressed mass in configuration space are presented.

Relativistic effect of entanglement in fermion-fermion scattering

We study the properties of entanglement entropy among scattering particles as observed from different inertial moving frames, based on an exemplary QED process $e^+e^-\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-$. By the explicit calculation of the Wigner rotation, the entanglement entropy of scattering particles is found to be Lorentz invariant. We also study the behavior of the entanglement between spin degrees of freedom for scattering particles in moving frames. This quantity, being found to change with different inertial reference frames, does not exhibit as a Lorentz invariant.

First-order strong-field QED processes in a tightly focused laser beam

In [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{117}, 213201 (2016)] we have determined the angular resolved and the total energy spectrum of a positron produced via nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production by a high-energy photon counterpropagating with respect to a tightly focused laser beam. Here, we first generalize the results in [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{117}, 213201 (2016)] by including the possibility that the incoming photon is not exactly counterpropagating with respect to the laser field. As main focus of the present paper, we determine the photon angular resolved and total energy spectrum for the related process of nonlinear Compton scattering by an electron impinging into a tightly-focused laser beam. Analytical integral expressions are obtained under the realistic assumption that the energy of the incoming electron is the largest dynamical energy of the problem and that the electron is initially almost counterpropagating with respect to the laser field. The crossing symmetry relation between the two processes in a tightly focused laser beam is also elucidated.

The Gauge-Field Propagator in Light-Cone Gauge: Which is the Correct One?

In the literature one can find two different expressions for the gauge-field propagator in light-cone gauge, containing the sum of three rather than two terms. The question of which of the two is the correct one has been a subject of debate. We propose a solution to this question by evaluating one-loop level processes in QED, both in the covariant approach in the light-cone gauge and in the light-front time-ordered perturbation theory (TOPT) approach, proving the equivalence between the two formulations of the theory. The form of the propagator turns out to be crucial in the proof, in particular as concerns its relation with the diagrams containing instantaneously propagating photons and instantaneous interactions. We show that the diagrams in light-front TOPT with instantaneous photons can be recovered in the covariant approach starting from the propagators with only two terms. Our proof of the equivalence clarifies which form should be used for the gauge-field propagator in the covariant approach. This result naturally applies to the QCD case also.

Vladimir Sudakov and double-logarithmic asymptotics of amplitudes in QED, QCD and gravity

We review the Sudakov results on the double logarithmic asymptotics of the electron form-factor which were based on his parametrization of the virtual particle momenta in the Feynman diagrams. The high energy amplitudes for various QED and QCD processes in the double-logarithmic approximation are obtained by using the Bethe-Salpeter approach and the evolution equations. The ultraviolet divergency of the graviton Regge trajectory allows to derive the infrared evolution equation for the graviton-graviton scattering amplitude with a double-logarithmic accuracy. The asymptotic behavior of this amplitude depends essentially on the rank N of the super-symmetry.

Radiative corrections ine+e−collisions with the BabaYaga event generator

The Monte Carlo event generator BabaYaga has been developed in the last decade for high precision simulation of QED processes (e + e − → e + e − , e + e − → μ + μ − and e + e − → γγ ) at flavour factories, mainly for luminometry purposes, with an estimated theoretical accuracy at the 0.1% level or better. The relevant QED radiative corrections are included by means of a QED Parton Shower matched with exact next-to-leading order corrections to reach the required accuracy. The main theoretical framework is overviewed and the status of the generator is summarized.

Nonlinear Breit-Wheeler Pair Production in a Tightly Focused Laser Beam.

The only available analytical framework for investigating QED processes in a strong laser field systematically relies on approximating the latter as a plane wave. However, realistic high-intensity laser beams feature much more complex space-time structures than plane waves. Here, we show the feasibility of an analytical framework for investigating strong-field QED processes in laser beams of arbitrary space-time structure by determining the energy spectrum of positrons produced via nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production as a function of the background field in the realistic assumption that the energy of the incoming photon is the largest dynamical energy in the problem. A numerical evaluation of the angular resolved positron spectrum shows significant quantitative differences with respect to the analogous result in a plane wave, such that the present results will be also important for the design of upcoming strong laser facilities aiming at measuring this process.

Color fluctuations in high energy hadron- and photon-nucleus collisions

We explain that coherence of high energy QED and QCD processes implies existence of new kind of phenomena which are beyond a framework based on Regge poles (cuts). New phenomena emerge as the consequence of compositeness of the bound states and the Lorentz slowing down of interaction. We focus on the color fluctuations phenomena predicted earlier for [Formula: see text] collisions within QCD and recent evidence for this phenomenon from [Formula: see text] LHC run, significant modification of nuclear shadowing phenomenon in the diffractive photoproduction of vector mesons observed recently in the ultra peripheral collisions at LHC. We outlined briefly general properties of color fluctuations phenomena and perspectives of future studies of this phenomenon in electron (photon) collisions with nuclei.

Lorentz violation in simple QED processes

We determine the effect of a CPT-even and Lorentz violating non-minimal coupling on the differential cross sections for some of the most important tree-level processes in QED, namely, Compton and Bhabha scatterings, as well as electron-positron annihilation. Experimental limits constraining the allowed deviation of the differential cross sections relative to pure QED allow us to place upper bounds on the Lorentz violating parameters. A constraint based on the decay rate of para-positronium is also obtained.

Relativistic dynamics of the Compton diffusion on a bound electron

A covariant relativistic formalism for the electron-photon and nuclear dynamics is summarised making more accurate predictions in agreement with experiments for Compton scattering in shells with large electron binding energy. An exact solution for the Dirac equation for an electron in the nuclear Coulomb field is obtained, in order to write the relativistic dynamics for this QED process. This is a preparation for the calculation of the relativistic cross-section for Compton scattering on bound electrons; as a precision test for QED.

Analytical results for nonlinear Compton scattering in short intense laser pulses

We study in detail the strong-field QED process of nonlinear Compton scattering in short intense plane wave laser pulses of circular polarization. Our main focus is placed on how the spectrum of the backscattered laser light depends on the shape and duration of the initial short intense pulse. Although this pulse shape dependence is very complicated and highly nonlinear, and has never been addressed explicitly, our analysis reveals that all the dependence on the laser pulse shape is contained in a class of three-parameter master integrals. Here we present completely analytical expressions for the nonlinear Compton spectrum in terms of these master integrals. Moreover, we analyse the universal behaviour of the shape of the spectrum for very high harmonic lines.

Study of ψ (3770) decaying to baryon anti-baryon pairs

To study the decays of $\psi(3770)$ going to baryon anti-baryon pairs ($B\bar{B}$), all available experiments of measuring the cross sections of $e^+e^- \to B\bar{B}$ at center-of-mass energy ranging from 3.0 GeV to 3.9 GeV are combined. To relate the baryon octets, a model based on the SU(3) flavor symmetry is used and the SU(3) breaking effects are also considered. Assuming the elctric and magnetic form factors are equal ($|G_E|=|G_M|$), a global fit including the interference between the QED process and the resonant process is performed. The branching fraction of $\psi(3770) \to B\bar{B}$ is determined to be $(2.4\pm0.8\pm0.3)\times10^{-5}$, $(1.7\pm0.6\pm0.1)\times10^{-5}$, $(4.5\pm0.9\pm0.1)\times10^{-5}$, $(4.5\pm0.9\pm0.1)\times10^{-5}$, $(2.0\pm0.7\pm0.1)\times10^{-5}$, and $(2.0\pm0.7\pm0.1)\times10^{-5}$ for $B=p, \Lambda, \Sigma^+, \Sigma^0, \Xi^-$ and $\Xi^0$, respectively, where the first uncertainty is from the global fit and the second uncertainty is the systematic uncertainty due to the assumption $|G_E|=|G_M|$. They are at least one order of magnitude larger than a simple scaling of the branching fraction of $J/\psi\to B\bar{B}$.

Analytical solution for the Klein-Gordon equation and action function of the solution for the Dirac equation in counterpropagating laser waves

Nonperturbative calculation of QED processes participated by a strong electromagnetic field, especially provided by strong laser facilities at present and in the near future, generally resorts to the Furry picture with the usage of analytical solutions of the particle dynamical equation, such as the Klein-Gordon equation and Dirac equation. However only for limited field configurations such as a plane-wave field could the equations be solved analytically. Studies have shown significant interests in QED processes in a strong field composed of two counter-propagating laser waves, but the exact solutions in such a field is out of reach. In this paper, inspired by the observation of the structure of the solutions in a plane-wave field, we develop a new method and obtain the analytical solution for the Klein-Gordon equation and equivalently the action function of the solution for the Dirac equation in this field, under a largest dynamical parameter condition that there exists an inertial frame in which the particle free momentum is far larger than the other field dynamical parameters. The applicable range of the new solution is demonstrated and its validity is proven clearly. The result has the advantage of Lorentz covariance, clear structure and close similarity to the solution in a plane-wave field, and thus favors convenient application.

One-photon pair production on the expanding de Sitter spacetime

We study the one-photon scalar pair production QED process on the expanding de Sitter spacetime. Using perturbation theory, we obtain the transition probability and study its properties as a function of the expansion parameter $\ensuremath{\omega}$. On flat space the process is forbidden by energy-momentum conservation. It is expected that for a dynamical background there is an energy exchange correlate to the strength of the gravitational field. We use momentum space plots and compute the mean production angle to illustrate this. We show that the mean angle grows with $\ensuremath{\omega}$, but also find that in the flat limit the fall-off is unexpectedly slow. To investigate this further we obtain the probability around different angular configuration, at leading order in $m/\ensuremath{\omega}$, and find that the $\ensuremath{\omega}$ dependence at small angles is very weak. We comment on the possible astrophysical implications.

Analytical tools for investigating strong-field QED processes in tightly focused laser fields

The present paper is the natural continuation of the letter [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{113}, 040402 (2014)], where the electron wave functions in the presence of a background electromagnetic field of general space-time structure have been constructed analytically, assuming that the initial energy of the electron is the largest dynamical energy scale in the problem and having in mind the case of a background tightly focused laser beam. Here, we determine the scalar and the spinor propagators under the same approximations, which are useful tools for calculating, e.g., total probabilities of processes occurring in such complex electromagnetic fields. In addition, we also present a simpler and more general expression of the electron wave functions found in [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{113}, 040402 (2014)] and we indicate a substitution rule to obtain them starting from the well-known Volkov wave functions in a plane-wave field.

Ultrarelativistic electron states in a general background electromagnetic field.

The feasibility of obtaining exact analytical results in the realm of QED in the presence of a background electromagnetic field is almost exclusively limited to a few tractable cases, where the Dirac equation in the corresponding background field can be solved analytically. This circumstance has restricted, in particular, the theoretical analysis of QED processes in intense laser fields to within the plane wave approximation even at those high intensities, achievable experimentally only by tightly focusing the laser energy in space. Here, within the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation, we construct analytically single-particle electron states in the presence of a background electromagnetic field of general space-time structure in the realistic assumption that the initial energy of the electron is the largest dynamical energy scale in the problem. The relatively compact expression of these states opens, in particular, the possibility of investigating analytically strong-field QED processes in the presence of spatially focused laser beams, which is of particular relevance in view of the upcoming experimental campaigns in this field.

Extreme quantum field theory and particle physics with IZEST

The prospect of next-generation ultra-high-intensity laser sources has prompted recent renewed study of nonlinear QED processes, such as the Schwinger effect, in which the instability of the QED vacuum is probed by external fields. Experimental observation of these nonlinear QED effects would provide unprecedented controlled access to non-perturbative processes in quantum field theory under extreme conditions, which is of direct interest in particle physics and astrophysical applications. I summarize important theoretical issues, both conceptual and computational, related to these nonlinear QED effects.

Astrophysically relevant processes in Lorentz-violating QED

We consider quantum electrodynamics with violation of Lorentz in-variance. We calculate the rates of photon decay along with the cross sections of electron-positron pair production on background radiation and in the Coulomb field. The latter process is essential for detection of photon-induced air showers in the atmosphere. The results of this work are written in [1] in details.

Fast computation of MadGraph amplitudes on graphics processing unit (GPU)

Continuing our previous studies on QED and QCD processes, we use the graphics processing unit (GPU) for fast calculations of helicity amplitudes for general Standard Model (SM) processes. Additional HEGET codes to handle all SM interactions are introduced, as well assthe program MG2CUDA that converts arbitrary MadGraph generated HELAS amplitudess(FORTRAN) into HEGET codes in CUDA. We test all the codes by comparing amplitudes and cross sections for multi-jet srocesses at the LHC associated with production of single and double weak bosonss a top-quark pair, Higgs boson plus a weak boson or a top-quark pair, and multisle Higgs bosons via weak-boson fusion, where all the heavy particles are allowes to decay into light quarks and leptons with full spin correlations. All the helicity amplitudes computed by HEGET are found to agree with those comsuted by HELAS within the expected numerical accuracy, and the cross sections obsained by gBASES, a GPU version of the Monte Carlo integration program, agree wish those obtained by BASES (FORTRAN), as well as those obtained by MadGraph. The performance of GPU was over a factor of 10 faster than CPU for all processes except those with the highest number of jets.