https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-6499-0
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Violation of vacuum stability by inverse square electric fields
1
Department of Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Hebei University, Wusidong Road 180, Baoding, 071002, China
2
Department of Physics, Tomsk State University, Lenin Prospekt 36, 634050, Tomsk, Russia
3
Department of General and Experimental Physics, Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Moyka embankment 48, 191186, St. Petersburg, Russia
4
P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, 53 Leninskiy prospekt, 119991, Moscow, Russia
5
Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 66318, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-090, Brazil
* e-mail: tg.adorno@gmail.com
Received:
8
July
2018
Accepted:
6
December
2018
Published online:
18
December
2018
In the framework of QED with a strong background, we study particle creation (the Schwinger effect) by a time-dependent inverse square electric field. To this end corresponding exact in- and out-solutions of the Dirac and Klein–Gordon equations are found. We calculate the vacuum-to-vacuum probability and differential and total mean numbers of pairs created from the vacuum. For electric fields varying slowly in time, we present detailed calculations of the Schwinger effect and discuss possible asymptotic regimes. The obtained results are consistent with universal estimates of the particle creation effect by electric fields in the locally constant field approximation. Differential and total quantities corresponding to asymmetrical configurations are also discussed in detail. Finally, the inverse square electric field is used to imitate switching on and off processes. Then the case under consideration is compared with the one where an exponential electric field is used to imitate switching on and off processes.
© The Author(s), 2018
