Effects of extremely strong magnetic field on photon HBT interferometry

TL;DR

This paper explores how extremely strong magnetic fields in heavy-ion collisions could distort photon HBT interferometry measurements through vacuum birefringence effects, impacting the probe of primordial plasma spacetime geometry.

Contribution

It introduces the potential influence of strong magnetic fields on photon HBT interferometry, highlighting vacuum birefringence as a key factor affecting measurements.

Findings

Magnetic fields can alter photon propagation via vacuum birefringence.

HBT interferometry may be distorted by magnetic field effects in heavy-ion collisions.

Implications for interpreting photon-based measurements of primordial plasma.

Abstract

We discuss potential attainability by the Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT) interferometry of photons to probe the spacetime geometry of the primordial plasma created by ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. A possible effect to distort the HBT image is due to an interaction between emitted photon and an extremely strong magnetic field induced by the colliding heavy nuclei in the peripheral collisions. We examine the effects of variation of the refraction index in the strong magnetic field that is called the vacuum birefringence.