33.1 Complete the calculation of the Euler–Heisenberg Lagrangian using Landau levels in an arbitrary Fμν. Show that for an electric field B→iE is justified. Also show that the result for a general electromagnetic field is given by Eq. (33.71).
1. Calculation of the Effective Lagrangian using Landau Levels
For a pure constant magnetic field B=Bz^, the energy levels of a Dirac fermion are given by the Landau levels:
En,pz,σ2=m2+pz2+eB(2n+1−σ)
where n≥0 is the Landau level index, pz is the continuous momentum along the z-axis, and σ=±1 is the spin projection.
The one-loop effective Lagrangian L(1) is the shift in the vacuum zero-point energy. For a 4-component Dirac fermion, the states are doubly degenerate (accounting for particles and antiparticles). Integrating over pz and summing over the transverse density of states 2πeB, we have:
L(1)(B)=−2∫−∞∞2πdpz2πeB∑n=0∞∑σ=±121m2+pz2+eB(2n+1−σ)
Using the proper time identity A=−2π1∫0∞s3/2dse−sA, the integral becomes:
L(1)(B)=8π5/2eB∫0∞s3/2dse−sm2∫−∞∞dpze−spz2∑n=0∞∑σ=±1e−seB(2n+1−σ)
The Gaussian integral over pz yields π/s. The sum over the spin and Landau levels evaluates to:
∑n=0∞(e−2nseB+e−2(n+1)seB)=1+2∑n=1∞e−2nseB=coth(esB)
Substituting these back, we obtain the unrenormalized one-loop effective Lagrangian for a pure magnetic field:
L(1)(B)=8π21∫0∞s3dse−sm2(esBcoth(esB))
2. Justification of the Substitution B→iE
For a pure constant electric field E=Ez^, we can perform a Wick rotation to Euclidean space by taking t=−iτ. The temporal component of the gauge field transforms as A0=iA4.
The electric field Ez=F03=∂0A3−∂3A0 becomes:
F43=∂4A3−∂3A4=−i(∂0A3−∂3A0)=−iE
In Euclidean space, F43 acts exactly as a magnetic field BE=−iE in the x4−x3 plane. Because the Euclidean action is O(4) rotationally invariant, the spectrum of the Dirac operator in the presence of an electric field is identical to that of a magnetic field, with the replacement B→BE=−iE.
Applying this substitution to the proper time integrand derived above, we get:
es(−iE)coth(es(−iE))=esEcot(esE)
Since the function xcothx is even, substituting B→iE or B→−iE yields the exact same valid result for the electric field contribution.
3. General Electromagnetic Field and Eq. (33.71)
For an arbitrary constant electromagnetic field, we can always boost to a Lorentz frame where E and B are parallel. In this frame, the Dirac operator separates into commuting transverse (magnetic) and longitudinal (electric) parts. The total proper time trace is simply the product of the two independent 2D traces. Thus, the one-loop effective Lagrangian is:
L(1)(E,B)=8π21∫0∞s3dse−sm2(esBcoth(esB))(esEcot(esE))
To express this in a manifestly Lorentz-invariant form, we use the secular invariants of the electromagnetic field:
F=41FμνFμν=21(B2−E2),G=41FμνF~μν=−E⋅B=−EB
We define a complex invariant X such that:
X2=2(F+iG)=(B2−E2)−2iEB=(B−iE)2⟹X=B−iE
Now, we evaluate the hyperbolic cosine of this complex invariant:
cosh(esX)=cosh(esB−iesE)=cosh(esB)cos(esE)−isinh(esB)sin(esE)
Taking the real and imaginary parts, we find their ratio:
Imcosh(esX)Recosh(esX)=−sinh(esB)sin(esE)cosh(esB)cos(esE)=−coth(esB)cot(esE)
Multiplying this ratio by the invariant FμνF~μν=4G=−4EB, we obtain:
Imcosh(esX)Recosh(esX)FμνF~μν=4EBcoth(esB)cot(esE)
Substitute this algebraic identity into the integral of Eq. (33.71) (including the convergence factor eisε):
32π2e2∫0∞sdseisεe−sm2[4EBcoth(esB)cot(esE)]=8π21∫0∞s3dseisεe−sm2(esBcoth(esB))(esEcot(esE))
This exactly matches the unrenormalized one-loop effective Lagrangian L(1) derived from the Landau levels. Adding the classical tree-level Maxwell Lagrangian L(0)=−41Fμν2, we arrive at the complete Euler-Heisenberg Lagrangian:
33.3 Calculate the contour integral to derive the pair-production rate Eq. (33.94) from Eq. (33.93). It is helpful to first expand the integration limits to ∫−∞∞ds, then deform the contour to pick up the poles.
计算 I4:
I4=det(Fμνμ)。行列式是一个洛伦兹标量,可以在任何惯性系中计算。选择一个使得 E 和 B 平行的参考系(假设它们指向 z 轴),此时 Ex=Ey=Bx=By=0。在该参考系下,矩阵表示为:
Fμνμ=000Ez00−Bz00Bz00Ez000
直接计算其行列式:
det(F)=(Ez)(−Ez)(Bz)(−Bz)=−Ez2Bz2=−(E⋅B)2=−G2
由于行列式是不变量,该结果在任意参考系下均成立,即 I4=−G2。