Title：A Study of the Schwinger Effect: Chirality Generation and Enhancement in an Axial Gauge Field
Time：2022/10/31 (Mon.) 12:30
Place：R517, New Physics Building, NTU

Abstract：
The Schwinger Effect predicts the quantum field theoretic vacuum is unstable against the spontaneous production of particle anti-particle pairs in a strong background electric field. First, I provide an introduction to the Schwinger effect with a focus on the worldline formalism, which leads to the Euler-Heisenberg Lagrangian. Then I discuss chirality non-conservation as is predicted by the axial-Ward identity. When one treats the axial-Ward identity using out-of-equilibrium observables it is shown the Schwinger effect plays a central role in the interpretation of the chiral anomaly, and moreover demonstrates a finite fermion mass dependence [1]. Motivated by the connection, I further discuss augmentations to the Euler-Heisenberg Lagrangian with the addition of a background axial gauge field, where I discuss how with a space-like axial gauge field the Schwinger pair production threshold may be lessened by a quadratic mass shift [2].

[1] PC, K. Fukushima, S. Pu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 261602 (2018), [1807.04416]; PC, S. Pu, Int.J.Mod.Phys.A, 35, 28, 2030015 (2020), [2008.03635].
[2] PC, K. Hattori, D.-L. Yang, (2022), [2208.12913].