Darmstadt 2008 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 8: Interaction with intense laser pulses II: Molecules and beyond

A 8.7: Talk

Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 15:45–16:00, 3C

Magnetic-field effects in electron-positron pair creation by counterpropagating laser pulses — •Matthias Ruf, Guido R. Mocken, Carsten Müller, Karen Z. Hatsagortsyan, and Christoph H. Keitel — Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg

Until now the study of electron-positron pair production by counterpropagating laser fields has been based on the approximation of neglecting the spatial dependence of the field. We employ a numerical approach [1] by propagating a negative-energy Dirac electron on a two-dimensional grid via the split-operator algorithm. This enables us to take the magnetic field of the laser pulses into account. We show that for high frequencies the creation process is strongly affected: the production probability is reduced, the resonant Rabi-oscillation pattern is significantly modified and the resonance positions are shifted and multiplied [2].

[1] G. R. Mocken and C. H. Keitel, J. Comp. Phys. 199, 558 (2004)

[2] M. Ruf, G. R. Mocken, C. Müller, K. Z. Hatsagortsyan and C. H. Keitel: in preparation