Events at Physics |
electron-positron pairs in the presence of an external electric field is one of the first non-trivial predictions of QED, due to Heisenberg and Euler, and later formalized by Schwinger. This non-perturbative effect has implications and analogies in QCD and gravitational physics. However, the effect is so weak that it has still not been directly observed. But recent experimental progress in ultra-intense laser systems has brought us
tantalizingly close to seeing this non-perturbative particle production. I will review the current status and describe some new theoretical ideas aimed at making this process accessible.