Photon Damping in One-Loop HTL Perturbation Theory

TL;DR

This paper calculates the damping rates of slow-moving photons in massless QED using next-to-leading order hard-thermal-loop perturbation theory, revealing finite, positive, and equal rates at zero momentum with systematic divergence cancellations.

Contribution

It provides the first systematic calculation of photon damping rates at this order in HTL perturbation theory, addressing divergence issues.

Findings

Longitudinal and transverse damping rates are finite and positive.

Damping rates are equal at zero momentum.

Various divergences are identified and canceled systematically.

Abstract

We determine the damping rates of slow-moving photons in next-to-leading order hard-thermal-loop perturbation of massless QED. We find both longitudinal and transverse rates finite, positive, and equal at zero momentum. Various divergences, light-cone and at specific momenta, but not infrared, appear and cancel systematically.