Pair creation amplitudes for a real scalar field coupled to a time-dependent surface in d+1 dimensions

Abstract

We study the pair creation phenomenon for a real scalar field $φ$ in the presence of a surface that undergoes time-dependent deformations, while imposing Dirichlet-like boundary conditions. Including terms up to fourth order in the departure of the surface from an infinite plane, we present results for the angular dependence of the emission rate for the vacuum-to-pair process as a function of the geometry and the dynamics of the surface, as well as of the momenta of the emitted pair. We check the consistency of the leading contribution with previous results obtained from the imaginary part of the effective action, and clarify how the relation between exclusive probabilities and the imaginary part of the effective action is modified at fourth order by the opening of a two-pair channel.