2004/09/30 by A. J. Baltz, Anthony J. Baltz
Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic physics #Cutoff #High-Energy Particle Collisions Research #Ion #Particle physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Perturbation theory (quantum mechanics) #Physics #Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions #Quantum mechanics #Semiclassical physics #hep-ph #nucl-th #physics.atom-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevc.71.024901
published as Phys.Rev.C71:024901,2005; Erratum-ibid.C71:039901,2005 · 18 pages, latex, revtex, 5 eps figures; revised version with added material and two additional figures; v3 minor changes to be consitent with published version: references ordering etc
openalex publication_date 2005/02/09 · arxiv created 2005/04/21 · arxiv updated 2014/11/18 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The heavy ion cross section for continuum e+e^\ensuremath- pair production has been calculated to all orders in Z\ensuremathα. The formula resulting from an exact solution of the semiclassical Dirac equation in the ultrarelativistic limit is evaluated numerically. An energy-dependent spatial cutoff of the heavy ion potential is used, leading to an exact formula agreeing with the known perturbative formula in the ultrarelativistic, perturbative limit. Cross sections and sample momentum distributions are evaluated for heavy ion beams at SPS, RHIC, and LHC energies. e+e^\ensuremath- pair production probabilities are found to be reduced from perturbation theory with increasing charge of the colliding heavy ions and for all energy and momentum regions investigated.