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HIC for FAIR logo Nuclear Physics Colloquium

Venue: Physics Building, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, Seminar Room PHYS 2.116
Time: Thursday, December 15, 4:30 pm (s.t.)
Contact: hees@fias.uni-frankfurt.de


Critical Fields = Critical Acceleration = Particle Production

Johann Rafelski (Physics Department, The University of Arizona)

After a review of the quantum instability of the vacuum in presence of super critical fields I will develop the cross-connection with the ultra-high acceleration phenomena, and describe the related riddles the unit-strength critical acceleration generates in the context of classical electromagnetism: radiation friction, and in the related EM component in the mass of charged elementary particles. Critical acceleration phenomena maybe at the origin of the entropy generation required for QGP formation. The lecture closes with the introduction of new experimental strong field physics opportunities arising in the context of ultra-intense light pulse collisions with relativistic particles.

Personal memories about the Frankfurt School of Theoretical Physics and contributions of Joachim Reinhardt in the area of strong fields enrich this presentation.

Parts of this lecture are drawn from a recently completed "Relativity Matters" book which can be downloaded here
http://www.physics.arizona.edu/~rafelski/PS/GuideRel_all4.pdf


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