Abstract

We apply worldline methods to the study of vacuum polarization effects in plane wave backgrounds, in both scalar and spinor QED. We calculate helicity-flip probabilities to one loop order and treated exactly in the background field, and provide a toolkit of methods for use in investigations of higher-order processes. We also discuss the connections between the worldline, S-matrix, and lightfront approaches to vacuum polarization effects.

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevD.93.085006

Publication Date

2016-04-05

Publication Title

Physical Review D

Volume

93

Issue

8

Publisher

American Physical Society (APS)

ISSN

2470-0029

Embargo Period

2024-11-22

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