Plasma dynamics at the Schwinger limit and beyond

Tools

Brodin, Gert and Al-Naseri, Haidar and Zamanian, Jens and Torgrimsson, Greger and Eliasson, Bengt (2023) Plasma dynamics at the Schwinger limit and beyond. Physical Review E: Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics, 107 (3). 035204. ISSN 2470-0053 (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.107.035204)

[thumbnail of Brodin-etal-PRE-2023-Plasma-dynamics-at-the-Schwinger-limit]
Preview
 Text. Filename: Brodin_etal_PRE_2023_Plasma_dynamics_at_the_Schwinger_limit.pdf
Final Published Version
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 logo
Download (1MB)| Preview

Abstract

Strong field physics close to or above the Schwinger limit are typically studied with vacuum as initial condition or by considering test particle dynamics. However, with a plasma present initially, quantum relativistic mechanisms such as Schwinger pair creation are complemented by classical plasma nonlinearities. In this work we use the Dirac-Heisenberg-Wigner formalism to study the interplay between classical and quantum mechanical mechanisms in the regime of ultrastrong electric fields. In particular, the effects of initial density and temperature on the plasma oscillation dynamics are determined. Finally, comparisons with competing mechanisms such as radiation reaction and Breit-Wheeler pair production are made.

ORCID iDs

Brodin, Gert, Al-Naseri, Haidar, Zamanian, Jens, Torgrimsson, Greger and Eliasson, Bengt ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6039-1574;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)