Open string pair creation from worldsheet instantons

TL;DR

This paper extends the worldline instanton method, previously used for electron-positron pair creation in QED, to analyze open string pair creation, offering a new approach to string theory phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a novel extension of the worldline instanton technique to the context of open string pair creation, bridging a gap in theoretical methods.

Findings

Demonstrates how to adapt the instanton method to open strings

Provides a theoretical framework for string pair creation

Suggests potential applications in string theory research

Abstract

Worldline instantons provide a particularly elegant way to derive Schwinger's well-known formula for the pair creation rate due to a constant electric field in quantum electrodynamics. In this note, we show how to extend this method to the corresponding problem of open string pair creation.