Conjecture of perturbative QED breakdown at $\alpha\chi^{2/3} \gtrsim 1$

TL;DR

This paper reviews the Ritus-Narozhny conjecture suggesting that perturbative QED may break down at extremely high field intensities, which could have implications for upcoming experiments involving intense electromagnetic fields.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of the conjecture and discusses its potential significance for future experimental investigations in intense field QED.

Findings

The conjecture indicates a possible breakdown of perturbative QED at high field strengths.

Implications for near-future experiments in intense electromagnetic fields are explored.

The review emphasizes the importance of this conjecture for understanding extreme light-matter interactions.

Abstract

Invited talk given at Symposium "Extreme Light Technologies, Science, and Applications" (LPHYS'16, Yerevan, 11-15 July 2016). The old Ritus-Narozhny conjecture of possible breakdown of Intense Field QED perturbation theory for ultrarelativistic particles passing transversely through a strong electromagnetic field is reviewed with a special emphasis on its possible significance for near-future experiments.