Berlin 2014 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 19: Quantum effects: Light scattering and propagation
Q 19.3: Vortrag
Dienstag, 18. März 2014, 11:00–11:15, DO26 208
Electromagnetic shock waves in the polarised quantum vacuum — •Patrick Böhl1, Ben King1,2, and Hartmut Ruhl1 — 1Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Theresienstraße 37, 80333 München, Germany — 2Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle allows for the existence of virtual electron-positron pairs in vacuum. As these states can interact with real photons, the vacuum can be polarised and act as a nonlinear medium, giving rise to quantum corrections to the classical Maxwell equations [1]. We have solved these modified equations numerically in (1+1) dimensions and performed the first calculation of a collision of arbitrarily shaped pulses [2]. Taking the example of Gaussian pulses, we find from simulations and analytical calculations that if the interaction length and field strength are sufficiently large, the polarised vacuum can elicit shock waves [3], which accompany continuous frequency generation. These results could have implications in extreme astrophysical environments.
[1] B. King and C. H. Keitel, New J. Phys. 14, 103002 (2012).
H. Ruhl and N. Elkina, Proc. SPIE 8080, 80801P (2011).
P. Böhl, B. King and H. Ruhl (in preparation).