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arXiv · 2108.02068

Derivative corrections to the Heisenberg-Euler effective action

Felix Karbstein
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Abstract

We show that the leading derivative corrections to the Heisenberg-Euler effective action can be determined efficiently from the vacuum polarization tensor evaluated in a homogeneous constant background field. After deriving the explicit parameter-integral representation for the leading derivative corrections in generic electromagnetic fields at one loop, we specialize to the cases of magnetic- and electric-like field configurations characterized by the vanishing of one of the secular invariants of the electromagnetic field. In these cases, closed-form results and the associated all-orders weak- and strong-field expansions can be worked out. One immediate application is the leading derivative correction to the renowned Schwinger-formula describing the decay of the quantum vacuum via electron-positron pair production in slowly-varying electric fields.

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Felix Karbstein. 2021-08-04. Derivative corrections to the Heisenberg-Euler effective action. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep09(2021)070

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