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Transient evolution of a photon gas in the nonlinear QED vacuum
S.S.Q. Wu and F. V. Hartemann
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550
Abstract
Thermally induced vacuum polarization stemming from QED radiative corrections to the
electromagnetic field equations is studied. The physical behavior of thermal radiation, in the
nonlinear QED vacuum first described by Heisenberg and Euler, is a problem of some theoretical
importance in view of its relation to the cosmic microwave background (CMB), early universe
evolution, and Hawking-Unruh radiation. The questions of evolution toward equilibrium,
stability, and invariance of thermal radiation under such conditions are of great interest. Our
analysis presents novel aspects associated with photon-photon scattering in a photon gas in the
framework of quantum kinetic theory. Within the context of the Euler-Heisenberg theory, we
show that a homogeneous, isotropic photon gas with arbitrary spectral distribution function
evolves toward an equilibrium state with a Bose-Einstein distribution. The transient evolution
toward equilibrium of a gas of photons undergoing photon-photon scattering is studied in detail
via the Boltzmann transport equation.
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Wu, S Q & Hartemann, F V. Transient evolution of a photon gas in the nonlinear QED vacuum, report, October 4, 2011; Livermore, California. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc834710/m1/3/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.