Cherenkov radiation from the quantum vacuum

MacLeod, Alexander J. and Noble, Adam and Jaroszynski, Dino A. (2019) Cherenkov radiation from the quantum vacuum. Physical Review Letters, 122 (16). 161601. ISSN 0031-9007

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    Abstract

    A charged particle moving through a medium emits Cherenkov radiation when its velocity exceeds the phase velocity of light in that medium. Under the influence of a strong electromagnetic field, quantum fluctuations can become polarized, imbuing the vacuum with an effective anisotropic refractive index and allowing the possibility of Cherenkov radiation from the quantum vacuum. We analyze the properties of this vacuum Cherenkov radiation in strong laser pulses and the magnetic field around a pulsar, finding regimes in which it is the dominant radiation mechanism. This radiation process may be relevant to the excess signals of high energy photons in astrophysical observations.

    ORCID iDs

    MacLeod, Alexander J., Noble, Adam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8181-7076 and Jaroszynski, Dino A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3006-5492;
    • Item type:Article
      ID code:67410
      Dates:
      Date
      Event
      24 April 2019
      Published
      20 March 2019
      Accepted
      Keywords:nonlinear vacuum electrodynamics, Cherenkov radiation, Physics, Physics and Astronomy(all)
      Subjects:Science > Physics
      Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
      Depositing user: Pure Administrator
      Date deposited:22 Mar 2019 14:44
      Last modified:09 May 2021 00:52
      URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/67410
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