Quantum-Electrodynamical Photon Splitting in Magnetized Nonlinear Pair Plasmas

G. Brodin, M. Marklund, B. Eliasson, and P. K. Shukla
Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 125001 – Published 20 March 2007

Abstract

We present for the first time the nonlinear dynamics of quantum electrodynamic (QED) photon splitting in a strongly magnetized electron-positron (pair) plasma. By using a QED corrected Maxwell equation, we derive a set of equations that exhibit nonlinear couplings between electromagnetic (EM) waves due to nonlinear plasma currents and QED polarization and magnetization effects. Numerical analyses of our coupled nonlinear EM wave equations reveal the possibility of a more efficient decay channel, as well as new features of energy exchange among the three EM modes that are nonlinearly interacting in magnetized pair plasmas. Possible applications of our investigation to astrophysical settings, such as magnetars, are pointed out.

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  • Received 3 May 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.125001

©2007 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

G. Brodin1, M. Marklund1, B. Eliasson1,2, and P. K. Shukla1,2

  • 1Department of Physics, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
  • 2Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany

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Issue

Vol. 98, Iss. 12 — 23 March 2007

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