Heidelberg 2015 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 16: Interaction with strong or short laser pulses I

A 16.7: Vortrag

Dienstag, 24. März 2015, 16:00–16:15, C/kHS

Spin Effects in Strong-Field Breit-Wheeler Pair Production — •Martin J.A. Jansen and Carsten Müller — Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf

As predicted by Breit and Wheeler in 1934, highly energetic photons can materialize upon collision into electron-positron pairs. Owing to the ever increasing photon densities in current laser systems, this fundamental effect comes into reach of experimental capabilities and has actually been seen for the first time in the SLAC E144 experiment [1].

In this contribution, we investigate spin effects in Breit-Wheeler pair production induced by the collision of a laser field and high-energy gamma quanta. We present detailed calculations within the framework of strong-field QED. The laser field is modelled by a plane wave of either infinite or finite duration, where the latter allows for a more realistic description of typical high-intensity laser fields. By comparing results obtained for scalar and spinor particles, respectively, we extend a previous study on the subject [2] and gain new insights into the fundamental role played by the particle spin in the pair production process.

[1] D. Burke et al., Phys. Rev. Lett 79, 1626 (1997)

[2] S. Villalba-Chavez and C. Müller, Phys. Lett. B 718, 992 (2013)