Drift effect on vacuum birefringence in a strong electric and magnetic field

作者：Huang Yong Sheng^*; Wang Nai Yan; Tang Xiu Zhang

来源：Chinese Physics B, 2015, 24(3): 034201.

DOI：10.1088/1674-1056/24/3/034201

• vacuum birefringence
• critical Schwinger field
• refractive index
• E x B drift

As an important QED effect to detect the vacuum polarization, birefringence in the presence of a strong electric and magnetic field, E-0 perpendicular to B-0, E-0 <= cB(0), is considered. The directional dependence of birefringence is obtained. In two special cases: E-0 = 0 and E-0 = cB(0), our results are consistent with the previous ones. The refractive index of the probe wave propagating in the E-0 x B-0 direction decreases with E-0/cB(0), while that in the -E-0 x B-0 direction increases with E-0/cB(0). The physics of the direction dependence of birefringence maybe the E-0 x B-0 drift velocity of the virtual electrons and positrons.

• 出版日期2015-3
• 单位中国原子能科学研究院