The decay of the vacuum in the field of superheavy nuclear systems

Reinhardt, Joachim; Müller, Udo; Müller, Berndt; Greiner, Walter

doi:10.1007/bf01424757

Cited by 155 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…In reality the characteristic sticking time has been found of the order of ∆t ∼ 10 −23 sec, hundred times shorter than the one needed to activate the pair creation process. Moreover, it is recognized that several other dynamical processes can make the existence of a sharp line corresponding to an electron-positron annihilation very unlikely [66,329,343,344,345]. It is worth noting that several other dynamical processes contribute to the production of positrons in undercritical as well as in overcritical collision systems [323,324,222,325].…”

Section: Pair Production In Heavy-ion Collisions 661 a Transient Sumentioning

confidence: 99%

Electron–positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: From heavy nuclei to black holes

Ruffini¹,

Vereshchagin²,

Xue³

2010

Physics Reports

484

305

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Due to the interaction of physics and astrophysics we are witnessing in these years a splendid synthesis of theoretical, experimental and observational results originating from three fundamental physical processes. They were originally proposed by Dirac, by Breit and Wheeler and by Sauter, Heisenberg, Euler and Schwinger. For almost seventy years they have all three been followed by a continued effort of experimental verification on Earth-based experiments. The Dirac process, e + e − → 2γ, has been by far the most successful. It has obtained extremely accurate experimental verification and has led as well to an enormous number of new physics in possibly one of the most fruitful experimental avenues by introduction of storage rings in Frascati and followed by the largest accelerators worldwide: DESY, SLAC etc. The Breit-Wheeler process, 2γ → e + e − , although conceptually simple, being the inverse process of the Dirac one, has been by far one of the most difficult to be verified experimentally. Only recently, through the technology based on free electron X-ray laser and its numerous applications in Earth-based experiments, some first indications of its possible verification have been reached. The vacuum polarization process in strong electromagnetic field, pioneered by Sauter, Heisenberg, Euler and Schwinger, introduced the concept of critical electric field E c = m 2 e c 3 /(e ). It has been searched without success for more than forty years by heavy-ion collisions in many of the leading particle accelerators worldwide.The novel situation today is that these same processes can be studied on a much more grandiose scale during the gravitational collapse leading to the formation of a black hole being observed in Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). This report is dedicated to the scientific race. The theoretical and experimental work developed in Earth-based laboratories is confronted with the theoretical interpretation of space-based observations of phenomena originating on cosmological scales. What has become clear in the last ten years is that all the three above mentioned processes, duly extended in the general relativistic framework, are necessary for the understanding of the physics of the gravitational collapse to a black hole. Vice versa, the natural arena where these processes can be observed in mutual interaction and on an unprecedented scale, is indeed the realm of relativistic astrophysics.We systematically analyze the conceptual developments which have followed the basic work of Dirac and Breit-Wheeler. We also recall how the seminal work of Born and Infeld inspired the work by Sauter, Heisenberg and Euler on effective Lagrangian leading to the estimate of the rate for the process of electron-positron production in 1 a constant electric field. In addition of reviewing the intuitive semi-classical treatment of quantum mechanical tunneling for describing the process of electron-positron production, we recall the calculations in Quantum Electro-Dynamics of the Schwinger rate and effective Lagrangian for cons...

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Section: Pair Production In Heavy-ion Collisions 661 a Transient Sumentioning

confidence: 99%

Electron–positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: From heavy nuclei to black holes

Ruffini¹,

Vereshchagin²,

Xue³

2010

Physics Reports

484

305

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As mentioned earlier, the lifetime of a giant composite system more than 10 −20 s is quite enough to expect positron line structure emerging on top of the dynamical positron spectrum due to spontaneous e + e − production from the supercritical electric fields as a fundamental QED process ("decay of the vacuum") [4]. The absolute cross section for long events is found to be maximal just at the beam energy ensuring the two nuclei to be in contact, see Fig.…”

Section: Low-energy Collisions Of Transactinide Nucleimentioning

confidence: 56%

“…Such "long-living" configurations may lead to spontaneous positron emission from superstrong electric field of giant quasi-atoms by a static QED process (transition from neutral to charged QED vacuum) [4]. About twenty years ago an extended search for this fundamental process was carried out and narrow line structures in the positron spectra were first reported at GSI.…”

Section: Low-energy Collisions Of Transactinide Nucleimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Direct time analysis of the collision process allows us to estimate also the lifetime of the composite system consisting of two touching heavy nuclei with total charge Z>180. Such "long-living" configurations (if they exist) may lead to spontaneous positron emission from super-strong electric fields of giant quasi-atoms by a static QED process (transition from neutral to charged QED vacuum) [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Superheavy nuclei and giant quasi-atoms

Zagrebaev

Greiner

2007

Nuclear Physics A

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Dynamics of heavy-ion low energy collisions is studied within the realistic model based on multi-dimensional Langevin equations. Symmetric and asymmetric fusion reactions leading to formation of superheavy nuclei are analyzed. Collisions of transactinide nuclei are investigated as an alternative way for production of neutron-rich superheavy elements. In many events lifetime of the composite giant system consisting of two touching nuclei turns out to be rather long (≥ 10 −20 s); sufficient for observing line structure in spontaneous positron emission from super-strong electric fields, a fundamental QED process.

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“…This leads to a dynamical width or Heisenberg broadening of the quasimolecular 1 s state of Γ dyn = /Δt cr 300 keV. Actually, one may argue that an extra factor of π should be included here [14], leading to a broadening of the order of 1 MeV. This completely blurs the transition between subund supercritical systems.…”

Section: Collisions Of Bare Nucleimentioning

confidence: 95%

Probing Supercritical Fields with Real and with Artificial Nuclei

Reinhardt

Greiner

2014

Nuclear Physics: Present and Future

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In the presence of strong electric fields the vacuum state of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) becomes unstable and decays through the spontaneous production of electron-positron pairs. This is expected to occur, e.g., in constant electric fields exceeding a critical strength of E cr 1.3 · 10 18 V/m and also in hypothetical atoms with a nuclear charge exceeding the critical value Z cr 172. We discuss how supercritical quasiatoms can be created transiently in collisions of two heavy ions and discuss experimental signatures. We also report on an analogue of supercritical QED which has been found in solid-state physics. The electron states in the material graphene obey an effective Dirac-like equation. Depositing charged impurity atoms on the surface of a graphene sheet one can construct artificial supercritical atoms.

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The decay of the vacuum in the field of superheavy nuclear systems

Cited by 155 publications

References 40 publications

Electron–positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: From heavy nuclei to black holes

Electron–positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: From heavy nuclei to black holes

Superheavy nuclei and giant quasi-atoms

Probing Supercritical Fields with Real and with Artificial Nuclei

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