Pair creation by a photon in a strong magnetic field

The process of pair creation by a photon in a strong magnetic field is investigated basing on the polarization operator in the field. The total probability of the process is found in a relatively simple form. The probability exhibits a "saw-tooth" pattern because of divergences arising when the electron and positron are created at threshold of the Landau energy levels. The pattern will be washed out at averaging over any smooth photon energy distribution. The new results are obtained in the scope of the quasiclassical approach: 1) in the case when the magnetic field $B \ll B_0, (B_0$ is the critical field) the new formulation extends the photon energy interval to the case when the created particles are not ultrarelativistic; 2) the correction to the standard quasiclassical approximation is found showing the range of applicability of the approach at high photon energy as well. The very important conclusion is that for both cases $B \ll B_0$ and $B \geq B_0$ the results of the quasiclassical calculation are very close to averaged probabilities of exact theory in a very wide range of photon energies. The quasiclassical approximation is valid also for the energy distribution if the electron and positron are created on enough high levels.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figure

Asymptotic properties of the solutions of a differential equation appearing in QCD

We establish the asymptotic behaviour of the ratio $h^\prime(0)/h(0)$ for $\lambda\rightarrow\infty$, where $h(r)$ is a solution, vanishing at infinity, of the differential equation $h^{\prime\prime}(r) = i\lambda \omega (r) h(r)$ on the domain $0 \leq r <\infty$ and $\omega (r) = (1-\sqrt{r} K_1(\sqrt{r}))/r$. Some results are valid for more general $\omega$'s.Comment: 6 pages, late

On the Angular Dependence of the Radiative Gluon Spectrum

The induced momentum spectrum of soft gluons radiated from a high energy quark produced in and propagating through a QCD medium is reexamined in the BDMPS formalism. A mistake in our published work (Physical Review C60 (1999) 064902) is corrected. The correct dependence of the fractional induced loss $R(\theta_{{\rm cone}})$ as a universal function of the variable $\theta^2_{{\rm cone}} L^3 \hat q$ where $L$ is the size of the medium and $\hat q$ the transport coefficient is presented. We add the proof that the radiated gluon momentum spectrum derived in our formalism is equivalent with the one derived in the Zakharov-Wiedemann approach.Comment: LaTex, 5 pages, 1 figur

Determining the BDMPS transport coefficient via medium-modified fragmentation functions

In nucleus-nucleus collisions at RHIC and LHC, partons produced at high transverse momentum can undergo multiple scattering within the collision region prior to fragmenting into hadrons. We have studied the resulting medium-modified fragmentation function based on a calculation of the BDMPS-Z medium-induced gluon radiation for a dense, expanding medium of small finite extension. Here we explain how the BDMPS transport coefficient which measures the energy density attained in the collision, can be extracted from the observed modification of high-pt hadroproduction. We also comment on the significant remaining uncertainties in extracting the transport coefficient from data.Comment: 4 pages, 4 postscript figures. Proceedings for Quark Matter 200

Delbr\"uck scattering in combined Coulomb and laser fields

We study Delbr\"uck scattering in a Coulomb field in the presence of a laser field. The amplitudes are calculated in the Born approximation with respect to the Coulomb field and exactly in the parameters of the laser field having arbitrary strength, spectral content and polarization. The case of high energy initial photon energy is investigated in detail for a monochromatic circularly polarized laser field. It is shown that the angular distribution of the process substantially differs from that for Delbr\"uck scattering in a pure Coulomb field. The value of the cross section under discussion may exceed the latter at realistic laser parameters that essentially simplify the possibility of the experimental observation of the phenomenon. The effect of high order terms in the quantum intensity parameter $\chi$ of the laser field is found to be very important already at relatively small $\chi$.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Deciphering the properties of the medium produced in heavy ion collisions at RHIC by a pQCD analysis of quenched large p⊥p_{\perp} π0\pi^0 spectra

We discuss the question of the relevance of perturbative QCD calculations for analyzing the properties of the dense medium produced in heavy ion collisions. Up to now leading order perturbative estimates have been worked out and confronted with data for quenched large $p_{\perp}$ hadron spectra. Some of them are giving paradoxical results, contradicting the perturbative framework and leading to speculations such as the formation of a strongly interacting quark-gluon plasma. Trying to bypass some drawbacks of these leading order analysis and without performing detailed numerical investigations, we collect evidence in favour of a consistent description of quenching and of the characteristics of the produced medium within the pQCD framework.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Photon splitting in a laser field

Photon splitting due to vacuum polarization in a laser field is considered. Using an operator technique, we derive the amplitudes for arbitrary strength, spectral content and polarization of the laser field. The case of a monochromatic circularly polarized laser field is studied in detail and the amplitudes are obtained as three-fold integrals. The asymptotic behavior of the amplitudes for various limits of interest are investigated also in the case of a linearly polarized laser field. Using the obtained results, the possibility of experimental observation of the process is discussed.Comment: 31 pages, 4 figure

Saturation and shadowing in high-energy proton-nucleus dilepton production

We discuss the inclusive dilepton cross section for proton (quark)-nucleus collisions at high energies in the very forward rapidity region. Starting from the calculation in the quasi-classical approximation, we include low-x evolution effects in the nucleus and predict leading twist shadowing together with anomalous scaling behaviour.Comment: 32 pages, LaTex, 6 figures, a few modifications of the tex