Bound-free electron-positron pair production in combined Coulomb and constant crossed electromagnetic fields: a Schwinger-like process with intrinsic assistance

TL;DR

This paper investigates a nonperturbative electron-positron pair production process involving a highly charged ion and a strong electromagnetic field, revealing a Schwinger-like mechanism enhanced by atomic binding energy.

Contribution

It introduces and compares two methods for calculating pair production rates in combined Coulomb and crossed fields, highlighting a nonperturbative, assisted Schwinger-like process.

Findings

Rate depends nonperturbatively on Coulomb and electromagnetic fields.

Functional form resembles dynamically assisted Schwinger process.

Atomic binding energy provides intrinsic assistance.

Abstract

The bound-free channel of electron-positron pair production by a highly charged bare ion in the presence of a strong constant crossed electromagnetic field is studied. To calculate the pair production rate, two different methods are applied and compared with each other: (i) a quasiclassical tunneling theory and (ii) a strong-field approximation, both equipped with appropriate Coulomb correction factors. The resulting rate, which depends nonperturbatively on both the Coulomb field of the ion and the constant crossed field, is calculated in a broad range of applied field strengths and nuclear charge numbers. Its functional form resembles the rate for a dynamically assisted Schwinger-like process, with the assistance being provided by the atomic binding energy of the created electron.