Observation of Positron Creation in Superheavy Ion-Atom Collision Systems

Backe, H.; Handschug, L.; Heßberger, F. P.; Kankeleit, E.; Richter, L.; Weik, F.; Willwater, R.; Bokemeyer, H.; Vincent, P.; Nakayama, Yasunori; Greenberg, Jay

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.40.1443

Cited by 110 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…In fact, this diagram, shown in our fig.31 by dashed curve for parameter B, is very similar to the one, obtained by Grimsrud & Wasserman [145], who considered hydrodynamics of relativistic e ± , γ winds. That problem is very different from ours, because of different boundary conditions 9 . In particular, in the wind energy conservation Eq.…”

Section: Nakar Piran and Sari Revisionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…If the striking time ∆t s is not long enough and the sharp line of pair production positrons has not yet well-developed, in observed positron spectrum it is difficult to distinguish the pair production positrons from positrons created through other different mechanisms. Prolonging the sticking time and identifying pair production positrons among all other particles (Kozhuharov [178], Vincent et al [384]) created in the collision process are important experimental tasks (Kienle, Backe & Bokemeyer [171], Greenberg [136], Kienle [170], Backe et al [9], Kozhuharov et al [179], Müller et al [221], Bokemeyer et al [44], Backe et al [10]). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Blackholic energy and the canonical Gamma-Ray Burst

Ruffini¹,

Bernardini²,

Bianco³

et al. 2007

AIP Conference Proceedings

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Abstract. Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) represent very likely "the" most extensive computational, theoretical and observational effort ever carried out successfully in physics and astrophysics. The extensive campaign of observation from space based X-ray and γ-ray observatory, such as the Vela, CGRO, BeppoSAX, HETE-II, INTEGRAL, Swift, R-XTE, Chandra, XMM satellites, have been matched by complementary observations in the radio wavelength (e.g. by the VLA) and in the optical band (e.g. by VLT, Keck, ROSAT). The net result is unprecedented accuracy in the received data allowing the determination of the energetics, the time variability and the spectral properties of these GRB sources. The very fortunate situation occurs that these data can be confronted with a mature theoretical development. Theoretical interpretation of the above data allows progress in three different frontiers of knowledge: a) the ultrarelativistic regimes of a macroscopic source moving at Lorentz gamma factors up to ∼ 400; b) the occurrence of vacuum polarization process verifying some of the yet untested regimes of ultrarelativistic quantum field theories; and c) the first evidence for extracting, during the process of gravitational collapse leading to the formation of a black hole, amounts of energies up to 10 55 ergs of blackholic energy -a new form of energy in physics and astrophysics. We outline how this progress leads to the confirmation of three interpretation paradigms for GRBs proposed in July 2001. Thanks mainly to the observations by Swift and the optical observations by VLT, the outcome of this analysis points to the existence of a "canonical" GRB, originating from a variety of different initial astrophysical scenarios. The communality of these GRBs appears to be that they all are emitted in the process of formation of a black hole with a negligible value of its angular momentum. The following sequence of events appears to be canonical: the vacuum polarization process in the dyadosphere with the creation of the optically thick self accelerating electron-positron plasma; the engulfment of baryonic mass during the plasma expansion; adiabatic expansion of the optically thick "fireshell" of electronpositron-baryon plasma up to the transparency; the interaction of the accelerated baryonic matter with the interstellar medium (ISM). This leads to the canonical GRB composed of a proper GRB (P-GRB), emitted at the moment of transparency, followed by an extended afterglow. The sole parameters in this scenario are the total energy of the dyadosphere E dya , the fireshell baryon loading M B defined by the dimensionless parameter B ≡ M B c 2 /E dya , and the ISM filamentary distribution around the source. In the limit B → 0 the total energy is radiated in the P-GRB with a vanishing contribution in the afterglow. In this limit, the canonical GRBs explain as well the short GRBs. In these lecture notes we systematically outline the main results of our model comparing and contrasting them with the ones in the current literature. In both cases, we have li...

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Section: Nakar Piran and Sari Revisionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Blackholic energy and the canonical Gamma-Ray Burst

Ruffini¹,

Bernardini²,

Bianco³

et al. 2007

AIP Conference Proceedings

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show abstract

“…If the sticking time ∆t s is not long enough and the sharp line of pair production positrons has not yet well developed, in the observed positron spectrum it is difficult to distinguish the pair production positrons from positrons created through other different mechanisms. Prolonging the "sticking time" and identifying pair production positrons among all other particles [346,335] created in the collision process has been an object of a very large experimental campaign [347,348,349,350,351,352,353,354].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electron–positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: From heavy nuclei to black holes

Ruffini¹,

Vereshchagin²,

Xue³

2010

Physics Reports

498

305

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Due to the interaction of physics and astrophysics we are witnessing in these years a splendid synthesis of theoretical, experimental and observational results originating from three fundamental physical processes. They were originally proposed by Dirac, by Breit and Wheeler and by Sauter, Heisenberg, Euler and Schwinger. For almost seventy years they have all three been followed by a continued effort of experimental verification on Earth-based experiments. The Dirac process, e + e − → 2γ, has been by far the most successful. It has obtained extremely accurate experimental verification and has led as well to an enormous number of new physics in possibly one of the most fruitful experimental avenues by introduction of storage rings in Frascati and followed by the largest accelerators worldwide: DESY, SLAC etc. The Breit-Wheeler process, 2γ → e + e − , although conceptually simple, being the inverse process of the Dirac one, has been by far one of the most difficult to be verified experimentally. Only recently, through the technology based on free electron X-ray laser and its numerous applications in Earth-based experiments, some first indications of its possible verification have been reached. The vacuum polarization process in strong electromagnetic field, pioneered by Sauter, Heisenberg, Euler and Schwinger, introduced the concept of critical electric field E c = m 2 e c 3 /(e ). It has been searched without success for more than forty years by heavy-ion collisions in many of the leading particle accelerators worldwide.The novel situation today is that these same processes can be studied on a much more grandiose scale during the gravitational collapse leading to the formation of a black hole being observed in Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). This report is dedicated to the scientific race. The theoretical and experimental work developed in Earth-based laboratories is confronted with the theoretical interpretation of space-based observations of phenomena originating on cosmological scales. What has become clear in the last ten years is that all the three above mentioned processes, duly extended in the general relativistic framework, are necessary for the understanding of the physics of the gravitational collapse to a black hole. Vice versa, the natural arena where these processes can be observed in mutual interaction and on an unprecedented scale, is indeed the realm of relativistic astrophysics.We systematically analyze the conceptual developments which have followed the basic work of Dirac and Breit-Wheeler. We also recall how the seminal work of Born and Infeld inspired the work by Sauter, Heisenberg and Euler on effective Lagrangian leading to the estimate of the rate for the process of electron-positron production in 1 a constant electric field. In addition of reviewing the intuitive semi-classical treatment of quantum mechanical tunneling for describing the process of electron-positron production, we recall the calculations in Quantum Electro-Dynamics of the Schwinger rate and effective Lagrangian for cons...

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“…This process adds energy to the system so that the decay can occur even if the binding energy is less than 2mc2 (1.1 MeV) (Ref. [28][29][30]. The induced process is similar to pair production discussed earlier, but is more of an adiabatic process, being driven mostly by the large binding energy of the static combined Coulomb field.…”

Section: Experiments (A) Decay Of the Supercritical Vacuummentioning

confidence: 91%

Atomic Physics Aspects Of A Relativistic Nuclear Collider

Gould

1984

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I. PREFACEThe purpose of this note is to call attention to some important atomic physics effects and some interesting experiments involving a Relativistic Nuclear Collider. The ideas contained here come from many people (see acknowledgements). SUMMARYAtomic collision cross sections involving bare uranium nuclei are large at relativistic energies and will affect the design and operation of a relativistic nuclear collider (RNC). The most significant may be production of electron -positron pairs and muon pairs (" IO8 per sec. and 2000 per sec. respectively for a 100 GeV/nucleon collider with a luminosity of IO2' cm2s-'). Although the pair production is a direct measure of the luminosity it is also a large source of background and capture of an electron from the pair by one of the nuclei will result in the loss of the ion. Another important loss mechanism is Coulomb excitation of the giant nuclear dipole and giant nuclear quadrupole resonances.Storing and colliding bare and highly-stripped uranium opens up new possibilities for novel atomic physics experiments and an alternate approach for present experiments. As examples, the use of a collider for experiments to study spontaneous decay of the super-critical state (both positron production and x-ray production) of quasi-atoms of atomic number Z > 172, and a storage-ring measurement of the ground state hyperfine structure of hydrogenlike thallium as a test of quantum electrodynamics (QED) are discussed. ATOMIC PHYSICS RELATED TO THE DESIGN AND OPERATION OF AN RNC (a) IntroductionElectron capture from the background gas is the atomic collision process which has been considered most carefully in the design of a relativistic nuclear collider (RNC) and is discussed in section We consider four collision processes in the following sections: b) pair production in atomic collisions between the two uranium nuclei; c) electron capture from pair production ; d) electron capture by bare uranium from the residual background gas; e) electromagnetic nuclear excitation of giant dipole and giant quadrupole resonances. (b) Pair ProductionThe cross section for producing electron -positron pairs from the Coulomb field of two ( gives an estimate for y not too small.where (Y -1/137, 21 and 22 are the nuclear charges, and ro = e2/rnc2 = 2.8 x tron radius, is the classical elec- Table I shows the cross sections for producing electron -positron pairs in uranium -uranium collisions at collider energies as computed from Eq. 1. cross sectionFor a 100 GeV/nucleon RNC operating with a luminosity of lo2' ~r n -~ s-' about lo8 electronpositron pairs per second are produced in the collision region. As number of muon pairs scales roughly as (m,/m,)2 about 2000 muon pairs are also produced. Experiments which look for lepton production from nuclear collisions will need to consider this background. Finally, heavier pairs will also be produced in small quantities and the upper limit to the mass of the pairs which can be observed needs to be explored. 3The number of pairs produced is linear in the beam lu...

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Observation of Positron Creation in Superheavy Ion-Atom Collision Systems

Cited by 110 publications

References 12 publications

The Blackholic energy and the canonical Gamma-Ray Burst

The Blackholic energy and the canonical Gamma-Ray Burst

Electron–positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: From heavy nuclei to black holes

Atomic Physics Aspects Of A Relativistic Nuclear Collider

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