Semiclassical approach for multiparticle production in scalar theories

Abstract

We propose a semiclassical approach to calculate multiparticle cross sections in scalar theories, which have been strongly argued to have the exponential form $\exp(\lambda^{-1}F(\lambda n,\epsilon))$ in the regime $\lambda\to0$, $\lambda n$, $\epsilon=$ fixed, where $\lambda$ is the scalar coupling, $n$ is the number of produced particles, and $\epsilon$ is the kinetic energy per final particle. The formalism is based on singular solutions to the field equation, which satisfy certain boundary and extremizing conditions. At low multiplicities and small kinetic energies per final particle we reproduce in the framework of this formalism the main perturbative results. We also obtain a lower bound on the tree--level cross section in the ultra--relativistic regime.